A World Without Zeref
by Divinion
Summary: COMPLETE: Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray and Happy stand in front of the Eclipse Gate, ready to be taken into a world in which Zeref never existed, only to find that it is not the utopia that they had been promised.
1. Prologue

**Hey Fairy Tail fans! Divinion here! Hope you enjoy my brand new story. This is set at the Eclipse Gate, as if it had all gone to plan** **without the dragons and all. As you can probably expect, most of the GMG and the build up to the gate opening has stayed as true to the anime/manga as possible, except any obvious** **differences. Spoilers are throughout this fanfiction, including things** **beyond the Grand Magical Games arc, but if you're reading fanfiction you should probably expect that. Also, rated for language and disturbing themes.**

 **I've pretty much written this all now, except for the ending, and the more you read it the more you'll understand why it needed to be written before I posted any of it. Time travel is confusing, y'all. Anyway, enjoy! I love reviews or feedback, also feel free to send me your own theories of what a world without Zeref would actually look like, and if there are a few of them I'll post them on the end of chapters!**

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Prologue

They were promised a world without Zeref. They were promised a glorious reality where thousands of people wouldn't have been mercilessly killed, where the evil of the world didn't have a shrine to worship, where light won over darkness. As they stood at the Eclipse gate, every one of them looked into the bright and shining glow and wondered what a utopia could actually look like. They thought back to every painful mark on their souls and every demon they had fought, every heart break that could have been avoided and every life lost along the way. The Fairy Tail companions looked forwards into what they believed would be a future built from harmony and preservation of human life. They knew even in their hopefulness that it was impossible to have a perfect world in front of them, but there was no way that it could have been worse than the desolation the dark wizard had left in his wake.

Could it?

Lucy shielded her hand from the light, feeling the uncomfortable glow rushing over her skin as the familiar celestial magic coursed through the air. She remembered the words that were spoken just a few moments before the Eclipse gate's completion: She had been warned that she would close this wonderful gift to the world. She was determined to prove fate wrong and stepped forward to her companions. She put her right hand into Natsu's, her left in Erza's, and Erza gripped Gray's as Happy's hand snuggly stayed in Natsu's. Whatever the new world had ahead of them, they would face it together. Pinned tightly between Natsu and Erza there was no way that she could break this spell now unless they all wished it.

The girl suddenly gasped, her eyes shining brightly and flickering. A tear suddenly formed, memories flashing before her eyes. Her heart raced suddenly as if flooded with the emotions, thoughts and feelings of four days that had never happened, that she could _never_ let happen. The light never stopped beaming against her skin but to her it had suddenly struck against her after half a week of a world without Zeref. Only a moment passed on the outside, but in the combined shudder of each of the joined companions, an entire world of painful memories rested heavily on their shoulders.

The celestial wizard dived forwards, clutching her keys in her hands and rushing towards the doorway controls. Lucy could hear screaming and shouting to stop her from the royal army behind her, but to her so much time had passed that she had forgotten their warning that they would try and stop her. She had promised to keep the doorway open, just as they had all been promised a utopia, but she had seen a world that she simply couldn't allow to exist. The Eclipse Gate would not be allowed to succeed. She had no resistance from Erza and Natsu, feeling them both hesitating but neither of them squeezed her hand tightly enough to stop her from slipping free. She jumped out of the way of the army's stunned attacks, her eyes wide and wild as she made one final dive for the controls.

Another gasp shuddered the celestial wizard to a halt as her hand hit a towering ice wall, protecting the controls. She stared in horror, knowing that time was against them and she was the only one that could stop this world from being created. Her breath clouded the ice as she pushed against it with weak fists, knowing it was impossible to get through such a powerful magic shield. "Don't you dare," Gray warned from behind, his ice twisting around his hands, prepared to do everything in his power to make the world she feared so much a reality.


	2. Chapter 1 Reawaken

As the magical spell took a hold of them the world began to shift in and out of colour. A vortex of purples, blues, greens, greys, black, white, reds, oranges, and every colour they had never even seen before consumed them in an incomprehensible way. Infinite realities were bleeding into one another. Every choice, every fate and every river of time in all existences fed into one another. The ground shifted in and out and all they could do for a moment was hold onto each other's hands in confusion, certain of nothing more than that they needed to stick together through this.

Slowly the world shifted back into stability. The bright and beaming light of the gate had been replaced by the soft and gentle glow of sunshine, far brighter and higher in the sky than the world that they had just left. Instead of concrete and stone around them their eyes filled with luscious green and twisted wood. Nausea filled their heads after the sudden transportation, the new sights, sounds and smells flooding their senses, but it was clear enough that this was a far different place from the capital city, and far more familiar. As they gathered their bearings, each one of Fairy Tail's Strongest Team found themselves staring up at their very own guild sign.

"I don't understand…" Lucy said, looking up at the sign in front of them and despite her dizziness, spinning on the spot. "We were in Crocus… why are we outside of Fairy Tail…?" she chimed. Quickly she noted that this was the new, smaller location of the Fairy Tail guild hall on the far outskirts of the town, where vines wrapped around the sign and doorways, and trees blended into pathway on which they stood. She hadn't been in this guild for long enough to say with any certainty but she was fairly confident that there was something different about the building they were looking upon. It wasn't something that she could easily put her finger on, just a feeling in the air or the faintest hint of a memory left incomplete. The magical energy from the vortex felt different to a simple transportation and she could think of no reason why eclipse would take them to their own guildhall.

"Did it work?" Natsu asked the question that was on everyone's mind. They looked away from the sign and down to Magnolia below, trying to pinpoint exactly where their growing uneasiness came from. The city below them was thriving, just as the Magnolia that they had always loved did, but while there had been some slight differences with the guild hall the city below was even more dissimilar. The streets were winding and the houses warming below, but Natsu was quick to point out the most obvious change: "There seems to be a lot of people in Magnolia today." It was an understatement, as he wondered if there was some kind of huge festival he had never heard of going on below, though the lack of familiar brightly coloured banners helped dismiss this idea.

Gray had his own theory and folded his arms across his chest, trying desperately not to get his hopes high. A world without Zeref had been more tempting to him than most, but it was foolish to think it would all play comfortably into his hands. Wrestling with his own predictions and hopes, it was at the forefront of his mind enough for him to not forget, even in the confusion of the vortex, exactly what their spell had intended. "Zeref's demons and followers alone have killed thousands over these 400 years," he pointed out. "It is possible that the world is more populated." There were a few faces that he wanted to see in these crowds of people, though he didn't dare say it out loud. Even if they were in this world they would no doubt be thousands of miles away.

His words hung in the air as hopes were suddenly lifted. Though they couldn't be certain how exactly the spell had worked or what exactly had unfolded, the promise that lives had been saved was enough to fill them with a new warmth. Whatever was ahead of them they knew that there were people in Magnolia and that Fairy Tail was at their backs, and everything else they could discover along the way. There were too many questions for them to take a victory, however, as they all looked back at the Fairy Tail sign and knew that forwards was the only way from now on.

Natsu was the first to enter the guild, pushing on the heavy doors and looking around himself eagerly. There was a comfort in seeing that the guild was as wild and excitable as always, laughter, playful fighting and the musky smell of spilled drink filling the air. If this really was a new world, at first glance Fairy Tail had not changed as much as they may have feared. The same wizards drank their same drinks, familiar faces glancing up at them, though there were many new faces that none of them recognised. Each one of the new strangers gave Natsu a confused look as he made his way through his guild, their presence only helped the theory this world had shifted. The dragon slayer looked forward to meeting each and every one of them, wanting to discover their magical talents, find out who was the new strongest and claim his title.

It didn't take long, however, for Natsu to realise that even their oldest of friends were giving him the very same look. There was a silence that followed him, none of the familiar grins or even eye-rolling that he was used to upon entering with his guild. This place, for the smallest of moments, almost didn't seem like home. He shook off the bad feeling like a pesky fly, seeing the small old man sitting at the bar and knowing wherever Makarov was, the true Fairy Tail would blossom. "Hey Gramps," he said casually.

Makarov looked up briefly and took his drink to his lips, eyeing Natsu up and down with a frown on his face. He seemed to be in no rush to answer, more intent on the alcohol that slipped down his throat. Erza and Gray stood either side of the dragon slayer, Lucy holding Happy and all four of them wondered why it was taking so long for the master to greet one of his favourite brats. The aging master finally finished his drink and looked down, dismaying at the empty wooden tankard in his hand. "So, who have you brought this time?" he asked finally, not even making eye contact.

Natsu frowned and leaned forwards, wondering if there was something wrong with him. He was very old after all. "Huh? What are you on about, Gramps?" he asked.

Makarov's eyes flashed up to meet Natsu's, not at all phased by just how close the dragon slayer had got. He was used to the worst of kinds of men and beasts trying to intimidate him over his many years, and no one had ever succeeded. That didn't mean that he was comfortable with the sudden intrusion of personal space, however. "He's not very polite, is he?" he commented blankly, looking to Erza and Lucy for their opinion.

Lucy suddenly squeezed Happy so tightly the little blue cat squeaked, trying desperately to wriggle away before getting crushed. Her eyes went wide, realising just what the expression on both the master and the rest of Fairy Tail's faces were as Natsu had walked inside. "The master… doesn't know who Natsu is?" she asked out loud, squeaking herself a little at the very notion of a Fairy Tail without Natsu. Fairy Tail _was_ Natsu in her mind, there had been rarely a day that she hadn't spent with him since joining this guild.

Happy finally wriggled free and jumped onto Natsu's shoulder, feeling the fire dragon's body stiffen as he waited to be told it was all some joke. "You know who Natsu is, don't you master?"

"Hmm…" the master took a long look at Natsu, narrowing his eyes and obviously trying to concentrate. "Nope! Can't say I do!" he said quite confidently, slamming his tankard back on the bar ready for the bar staff to refill.

"We should hire him as another waiter!" Mirajane sung loudly over the busy guildhall. Her voice had a crisp cold edge that Lucy had never heard before, but a temperance that the others had known from many years ago. They didn't even have to turn around to know that the usually timid girl was back to her old leather outfits, looking more like a dominatrix than a customer sitting casually having a drink on the Fairy Tail tables. 'Casual' was a word that could never be used to describe this fierce woman. She downed her drink and slammed it against the wooden table, her foot on the chair beside her. Even the air around her seemed to be different, the aura of a powerful S-Class mage finally resonating from the white-haired woman. She looked up at Erza with an evil gleam in her eyes. "This place is really falling apart, master. You can't get the staff nowadays," she challenged, keeping her eyes on the red-head.

The master seemed to sigh in both agreement and annoyance, glancing back to Erza. "Why _aren't_ you working?" he asked her.

"W-working?" Erza stammered, taking a step back. It took her a second to process that he was gesturing to his bar, and to the position that Mirajane no longer took in her current, violent state. He couldn't possibly mean for Titania, the Fairy Queen, to be waitressing, could he? It wasn't to say that Erza was necessarily too proud or stronger than Mirajane, but even Mira had rarely practised both her S-Class wizarding duties and waitressing at the same time. S-Class jobs could be deadly and generally required long days away, so as a member of the elite ranking it was near impossible to hold down a job as solid as a waitress at Fairy Tail if the intention was to go out and complete those roles. Besides which, the master would have never let someone so violent take the job, though Erza would never admit that she was incapable.

"You're completely missing the point!" Natsu cried out, still aggravated that the master had looked completely past him. This familiar and comforting guild was quickly slipping through his fingers. There seemed to be no doubt that they were in a completely different world now. "Master, don't you recognise me?! I'm a member of Fairy Tail, see?!" he said, showing him the red guild mark on his arm.

The mark seemed to finally gain the master's attention as he leaned forwards, taking it into account. Now they had gathered even more attention, and it was clear to see why. Whispers of a forged guild-mark fluttered around them and it took everything in Natsu's power to not scream and punch them all. His guild mark was more important to him than the skin it was imprinted on. The accusations that it was fake stung and the only reason he held back was to let the master prove them all wrong. The master nodded slowly. "Interesting…" he mumbled into his moustache. "It certainly looks real."

"That's because it is real!" Natsu screamed out.

"So he wants to be a member of Fairy Tail?" the unfamiliar woman's voice whispered across the guildhall and the guild began to settle into an uncomfortable silence. The words came from the stairway, calm clicking footsteps down the wooden stairs slowly revealing the strange woman. A red flowing dress with military style embellishments hung her body easily, a silver metal bodice wrapped tightly across her waist. Her hair was thick and as black as night, curling around one shoulder in a messy plait, and there was an undeniably eastern look in her dark eyes and pale skin. A small smile graced her face as she looked back at the pink-haired boy, making her own assessments.

It had surprised Lucy, Erza, Happy and Natsu to have seen the second floor at all. Though they hadn't been at the new location at Fairy Tail long, the second floor had definitely not been there and in their old home the second floor had always been reserved for S-class mission requests. It seemed no different here, from the large warning sign the dark-haired woman glided past, but even without the clear words it was impossible to escape the power emanating from this woman or deny she must have been S-Class. Something about her collected manner made each and every one of them feel like she held a higher rank than even Makarov, even if it had never been official. To one of them, however, she brought forward a much more extreme reaction. The colour drained from Gray's face, his eyes went wide as he choked a "M…", unable to complete the title.

The woman stopped at the bottom of the stairs, still staring at Natsu and his guild-mark with interest. She seemed to glance at Gray for just the briefest of moments, as if to make sure that he was watching, but Natsu had taken her attention. "So you really want to be in Fairy Tail so badly?" she smirked. "Alright," she challenged, "Survive this, and you can join." Suddenly the mage swung her arms backwards, a huge flaming ball appearing between her claw-like fingers. A manic grin crossed her face as she watched Erza, Lucy and Happy jump backwards, Gray forcibly being dragged backward with them, leaving Natsu stunned in the direct line of fire.

Bright light and licking flames crashed forwards, causing several more guild members to jump out of the way. Natsu also jumped backwards, away from the immediate force of flaming wrath from new S-Class mage, but it did not move him out of range. For the briefest of moments, he was engulfed in the bright red flames, the new fire mage grinning to herself as she watched what she believed would be burning body of a new recruit. She was quickly surprised, however, not only at the lack of screams but also as the fire seemed to fade. Her eyes went wide, impressed as the intended victim stood in the middle of her attack, consuming the flames that she had created and growing stronger from them.

Natsu wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, trying not to let the anger get the best of him. It had been only a few moments in his guild and already he had been both forgotten and attacked unnecessarily. "Thanks for the meal…" he whispered, gritting his teeth. It was only because it had been a damned tasty flame he had kept himself from leaping forwards in retaliation.

The woman took a half step back and let out a broken laugh. "Could it be? A fire dragon slayer?" she questioned, suddenly looking at Natsu with more respect. The respect, for some unknown reason, seemed to also pass onto the ice mage as she glanced back to the young man. "You've done us proud, Gray. You'll be S-Class in no time," she said with a smile to the fellow dark-haired mage, her victory blinding his stunned look from her. "In the meantime, it'll be good for you to have another fire wizard your age. He can stay," she smirked, leaning back against the counter and looking around impatiently for a member of staff.

"That's not your decision to make, Mika," Makarov grumbled once again.

She shrugged her shoulders confidently. "If you insist," she said, her spindling fingers taking a hold of the nearest glass and pouring her own drink. Her eyes caught Gray's before she took the drink to her lips, realising the strange look he had been giving her since she had first walked down the stairs had not disappeared. "Gray, you look like you've seen a ghost," she commented, her tone slightly scolding.

Gray jumped, feeling like he was in a dream and surprised to see the dream able to speak back to him. He felt like he'd seen a ghost. Her words had seemed so real, the voice that he had remembered from years ago, but lacking the soothing tone his memories held. Had she always spoken so bluntly, or had his memories been twisted by a frightened child desperately trying to cling to all of the happiness his life once held? Seeing the woman in front of him, aged and changed, he wasn't sure if he could even trust his own past. "I…" the words stuck in his throat, thinking of everything he had wanted to say in this moment. When it had been so hurtfully impossible he hadn't been able to prepare himself. Even now he couldn't bring himself to actually believe it.

"You don't need to decide if I can join in Fairy Tail, I'm already in Fairy Tail!" Natsu continued to yell, fire spewing with his words now. The flame maker's magic had given him even more heat, the angry expelling of tiny dragon roars coming dangerously close to destroying the newly discovered second floor. "Stop messing me around, Master!"

"Hey Erza, get me another beer here!" Mira yelled back at Erza, banging her tankard hard against the table. "Who do you think you're kidding with that armour, anyway? It's insulting; wizards don't wear armour," she scoffed, folding her arms and tilting up her nose in disgust.

Lucy stared at them all, holding onto Happy once more as they both weighed what had happened to the world. Slowly, the reality crept upon her that somehow this was a world without Zeref, and they had succeeded. Everything was different, as they had all known to expect, but none of them could have predicted a world like this. She scrambled her brain to try and find some instructions or guidance on how the spell unfolded itself. All she could remember was the Eclipse Gate, the vortex of time and colour, and then the strange new guild. They were going to destroy Zeref before he became immortal, but she had been certain that, while the spell had sent them hurtling to an alternative timeline, she had done nothing to cause the domino affect they were standing in. Had willpower alone destroyed Zeref in his infancy? It felt too good to be true. She remembered the choking fear that had grasped her at the very idea of murdering a baby or child. No matter how many lives it would save, she just hadn't been able to convince herself she'd be able to commit such a sin. And yet here they were, somehow victorious without ever having laid eyes on the dark wizard. Only one thing was certain; this Fairy Tail was not the home that they had loved.


	3. Chapter 2 Resurrection

The hum was so subtle through the air that it crept on Fairy Tail like a bad impression. Gently it became louder, louder, louder, making the hairs on the back of the guild members necks tingle. It began to distract the casual drinkers first as they looked around themselves, some of them glancing towards the windows questioningly. The sound was so foreign and haunting in nature that no one seemed quite sure how to react to it, only vaguely guessing that its origin was outside. Eventually it even cut off the heated words around the master. Exchanging confused glances, the new guild members started to follow the rush towards the windows.

"What is that?" Lucy asked, trying to steal a glance through the crowded windows and waiting for the strange world they'd landed in to reveal even more differences. She could see the window pane shuddering, pulsating in time with the humming as the outside vines scratched against its fragile surface. "It's so loud…!" she exclaimed, realising that she now had to raise her voice just to be heard. The humming's volume increased, turning into a heavy buzz through the air. The celestial wizard covered her ears, her expression one of utter confusion.

Suddenly the guild doors flew open, a huge gust of wind rushing around the hall and banging the doors back and forth. All remaining guild members quickly stood, bracing themselves against whatever was causing the commotion. In unison almost all of the guild members rushed through to the door, expecting the worst as they piled out of their guildhall and stared straight at their new looming threat. "Dammit, I didn't think they'd attack during the Grand Magical Games…" Mika hissed under her breath, bounding straight out of the door as Natsu and his team followed quickly, momentarily forgetting the crazed discussions and ready to defend their guild no matter how strange it seemed.

Above them soared the huge and magnificent airship, Arganon. It shone a bright metallic grey against the blue sky, huge sparkling wings glittering majestically. At first glance it appeared incredibly similar to Blue Pegasus' airship Christina but it was soon clear to see the entire ship was shaped and moved incredibly differently. Instead of the huge steady beast, this was a slick and graceful ship, a huge dagger slicing through the sky. The edges were sharp and deadly looking, even the wings which kept it afloat were magical sharp blue pincers through the air. Instead of the hope that emanated from the giant beast Christina, this vessel seemed to be one that echoed a flight or fight mentality. It was beautiful, awe inspiring, but had filled the guild below with rage. The Fairy Tail guild gripped their hands into tight angry fists as they looked up at the flags waving proudly above the vessel: A deep purple colour background with a light blue symbol, mimicking the giant wings which kept the ship afloat. "Pixie Wing bastards," Laxus growled beside them, his electrical energy charging through his body.

Across the top of the ship, figures stood looking down upon the tiny guildhall. From the distance, even Natsu struggled to easily make out their faces, but even from the distance it was clear the determined look in their eyes. Mika, recognising her enemies, stepped forwards with her teeth gritted, a new brilliant wild flame circling across her back. With every step forwards she took the fire spread outwards, unravelling into two fiery wings. "You have some nerve Silver, and your damned whore!" she said, shaking in anger as she let the wings sweep her off of her feet, her flames crackling in anticipation.

One of the figures, a man with a white streak running through his jet black hair, leaned over the railings. He, too, shared Mika's eastern complexion of dark hair and pale skin, but that was where the similarities ended. The man looked stern, controlled and able to shield his true emotions as he looked down at the guild, glancing between Mika and Gray in interest. Silver frowned subtly as his eyes fell upon the fellow ice mage, obviously having expected more than a stunned and frozen expression the younger man's face. He leaned back slightly, addressing his comrade. "Mest," he said simply, refusing to rise to Mika's challenging anger.

Mest nodded back to the older man, fading from his vision and suddenly appearing below, standing within the ranks of Fairy Tail. He received gasps and threatening lunges, but he didn't stay long enough to take any hits. As soon as his form reshaped next to the dark-haired time traveller he put his hand on Gray's wrist, leaving no time for explanation as he teleported them both instantly away.

"Gray!" Lucy shouted out, realising only that their friend was being kidnapped by this strange attacking guild.

"Up there!" Happy called out as the teleportation mage appeared back on the side of the ship. Gray was beside him, wobbling slightly from the second dose of transportation magic. They made no attempts to chain or conceal the ice wizard, surprisingly. It was fair to say, however, that he would be in no shape to achieve much. He was pale. He had been pale before staring at the flaming woman, but now with the combination of unexpected magical transport and yet more horrifying memories being pulled from the darkest parts of his mind, the ice wizard looked as if he would collapse at any moment. His eyes bounced around the new surrounding, suddenly landing on Silver's partner and unable to pull his stunned gaze away.

Beside Silver was a woman, also dark-haired and with an extreme power emanating from her. The air surrounding her seemed somehow colder and more comforting at once. She wore only a white vest and plain black trousers, her hair short but messy in the blowing winds of the airship, but somehow standing at the front of the ship she looked almost like royalty. "We're giving you one last chance, Fairy Tail," she shouted down to them all clearly. "Turn away from Fairy Tail and join Pixie Wing. Anyone that wants to join now, we will spare. That includes you, Mika," she said, a look in her eyes that showed she was partly playing with the fire mage, even if her offer was genuine.

Natsu couldn't connect all of the dots, but he could certainly connect enough to make the flames in his hands ignite. This guild was attacking Fairy Tail and even if it was a Fairy Tail he had never officially joined it would always be a place he would fiercely defend. This enemy guild had come and instantly kidnapped one of his friends, they threatened their hall, their lives and now the trust that its members placed within each other. Asking a guild to join another or face annihilation seemed like one of the cruellest tests an enemy could inflict upon nakama. Pixie Wing was a threat that needed to be eliminated, an enemy. As he felt Happy perch onto his back, he could feel Erza's magic twist around her as she requipped to battle, pulling on whatever armour could be an advantage against flight.

The Fairy Tail guild clearly shared the dragon slayer's thoughts, as members threw insults and prepared themselves to defend their guild to the bitter end, driven by the fiery S-Class mage as she pounced forwards with her flaming wings. "Go to hell, ice bitch!" Mika snarled, twisting her hands together and creating a fireball and aiming it straight towards the dark haired woman.

Natsu jumped up with Happy becoming as his own wings, adding his own flames to the onslaught and shouting his own threats. "Give Gray back you bastards!"

A giant ice eagle crashed into the balls of flame, the huge attacking force instantly blazing into a burst of steam and knocking both fire wielders momentarily backwards. Lucy hand was against her keys, trying to find a zodiac spirit that had recovered since opening the Eclipse Gate, as she felt herself covered in the tiny pellets of ice dripping from the sky. She glanced up at the sudden wet snow, watching the flame wizards both crashing closer to their mark as her eyes traced the battlefield. Fairy Tail's energy rippled through the crowd but they obediently held back, while the enemy airship hung static in the air. More iced beasts lunged forwards and tracing the spells back to the caster her eyes fell on a familiar white haired wizard as he twisted his hands together into another cold creation. "Lyon…?" she asked out loud, even more confused than she had been before. Though Lyon had been an enemy in the past, that had been some time ago. Was it possible in this world he had never found his retribution? Before she could even piece together the extra pieces of information, the requip wizard had joined the battle, jumping through the sky and making use of the concealing steam to try and launch herself into the ship.

"Erza?!" There were confused cries from the other Fairy Tail members as they watched the redhead in amazement, and Lucy could hear the amazed mutterings from all over the crowd. "What is that armour…?" "When did she get so strong?" "Isn't she just a barmaid?" Lucy swallowed hard, hoping that Erza couldn't hear what her nakama around her were saying. Her armour was the familiar yet deadly Titania, her true strength had not even manifested itself yet, this was just the tip of the iceberg of the fierce warrior Lucy had grown to love and it felt insulting that her own guild had underestimated her.

Erza's determined look hardened, hearing more than she would have liked to admit. She gripped her huge sword tightly, ready to swing downwards straight to the eastern pair at the edge. Instead of slicing downwards her arms were thrown back, however, as the female enemy stood in front of her with her palm spread outwards, fist rested against it with an icy wave erupting from her fingers. The ice twisted at the woman's will, her dark eyes glaring back at her enemy and the magic manifested itself as a thorny vine circling through the sky. The twisted spikes dug into Erza's flesh, yanked backwards by the ice flower. Erza gasped suddenly, too shocked to even scream as the ice pierced her skin. She had felt cold just like this before but never with this violent power directed straight towards her.

"Erza!" Gray gasped, finally finding himself able to move as his friend's face twisted in pain. Through all of the confusion and violence, his friend's pain ran straight through to his soul, releasing him from his stunned silence. He looked back at the short-haired woman desperately, his voice flooding back to him. "Don't hurt her!" he demanded of her.

The female ice maker's expression stiffened. She twisted her vines tighter but could see them cracking under the scarlet S-class wizard pure power. They had been warned that Fairy Tail could have been more than they expected, but the scale of Erza's magic had been beyond even that. The Pixies had barely even thought to even consider her as mentionable, but now it was clear that the redhead barmaid was on par with even their own strength. The glass thorns would last only moments against her sheer strength and Erza was already planning on her next outfit and weapon to take down the iced threat.

"Let them go!" A sudden shriek from the dragon slayer cried from the sky as he flew forwards towards the Pixie Wing pair. His entire arm blazed in brilliant light as he went to strike forwards. Suddenly, though not completely unexpectedly, his attack struck pure solid ice, stopping him in his tracks, cold enough that even his dragon flames struggle to melt through the barrier.

Erza gripped her hands tightly, feeling the armour across her skin cracking in the cold. She could feel no flinch in the vines as the sudden ice block appear on the hull of the ship, realising that it must not have been the woman casting the defensive spell towards Natsu, and she surmised that the man had used his own iced magic. Unfortunately, the block of ice was so huge and sturdy it would shield the pair from her next attack, though she knew it would not be impenetrable. Finally, the vine across her right arm cracked into a thousand small pieces. The requip wizard ignored the bloody scratches the broken shards of ice inflicted against her, calling on her powers to retrieve a long ranged weapon to hurl towards the ship.

A voice called out to her. _"Erza!"_ It was only her name, shouted through the battle cries, but sudden tears sprung to her both of her eyes. Her hand was empty, caught between replacing her old blade and drawing the new weapon, frozen in her memories. Her heart beat suddenly in her chest, telling herself that it couldn't have been. This was Fairy Tail. Everything was different here, but could it be so different that she could hear…. _Simon?_

Annoyance brought heat to Natsu's flames as he gritted his teeth, punching through the thick ice until he saw it cracking, revealing the caster. The shield hadn't been created by the short-haired woman, however, nor had it been created by her stern looking partner or even by Lyon. Gray stood behind his shield as it splintered beneath his friend's attacks. Natsu stopped in his tracks, too surprised to even hit his rival, frozen beyond even the bitter temperature.

"Do _not_ hurt them," Gray said, his eyes dangerously serious.

Happy moved Natsu back a little, partly in his surprise and partly because he didn't want to help Natsu strike his punches at their nakama instead of the enemy. "Gray? She's hurting Erza…" the tiny cat reminded him quietly.

Gray glanced back to the ice pair, a look across his face that let little room for question as he silently ordered them to stop. The woman stared back at him, admiration in her eyes before taking in a shallow breath and nodding back. She hadn't understood the motive, but there had been enough trust for her to release the redhead without question. Though her last spell was already almost completely broken by Erza, the female ice maker made no more attempts to attack, giving instead a warning glare to the fierce redhead in front of her. She would accommodate a stalemate for Gray's sake but if challenged she refused to let this woman best her.

"We need to go," Silver said in a low voice. "They're too much for us right now. Retreat!"

The giant wings suddenly raised, slipping through the air with a deafening crash. All of the flying Fairy Tail members were instantly grounded, covering their ears against the sudden rush of air. A whirlwind overcame the furthest corner of Magnolia, sending loose branches crashing one another and ripping back the ancient vines across the swinging Fairy Tail sign. The guild members cowered, crouching to the ground and covering their eyes as the air burst into a storm of dust. Natsu glanced up at giant ship as best he could, the wind blowing back the focus and the sounds shattering his thoughts. "Gray!" he tried to call out, the words getting sucked into the hurricane as the ship rose higher. He thought, from the brief glance, he saw Gray looking down, but try as he might he couldn't read the expression on his face as the airship bounded towards the horizon.

"DAMMIT!" the fire woman pulled herself onto one knee, trying to fight the shaking in her hands. "Gray, you traitor. Damned, damned traitor. Damn you, Gray. Damn you Silver. Damn you, Ur… I'll burn that Pixie Wing mark off you if it's the last thing I do…"

* * *

 **Hey Fairy Tail fans! I hope you're enjoying this so far! Please remember to drop me a message or review if you are enjoying this so far.**

 **As I said before, I'd also love to see your own World Without Zeref theories. This is just one of many alternative realities :)**

 **These big complicated chapters are so incredibly hard to get right. I'm not overly happy with the way this one turned out... hmm...**


	4. Chapter 3 Reimagine

Erza rose back to her feet as her clothes twisted around her body back into her familiar, casual armour. She scanned the Fairy Tail members quickly, trying to find the voice that she had heard. It was impossible, she told herself, but this world had seemed so broken and shattered in other ways there was always a chance that there would be some unexpected joy here. And then she saw him, Simon's eyes glancing back at her, a softness she hadn't seen in a long time as the reminder twisted in her chest painfully. It took a second for her to also realise that Simon was staring at her as if a stranger. It wasn't the way that the guild had looked at Natsu, but the way someone looked at a friend who had transformed into a completely different character before your eyes. It was a sadness mixed with a sense of pride, obviously amazed at the strength she had just shown against the enemy guild, but clearly disheartened that she would act so completely out of character as he wondered what had happened to the woman that he had been so fond of.

"Dammit!" Mika continued to scream, going to dive forwards but caught by a sudden gigantic hand that held her in place. She screamed and blazed but Makarov held her still. "I'm going to burn your fucking guild to the ground, Pixie Wing!" she continued to scream, but captured in the master's unrealistically large hands she could not bend her flames to her will. Unlike Natsu's dragon slayer skills, her spells mostly required her hands to be free to create her most powerful weapons, and even those would have struggled against the master if he had truly intended to keep her back.

"You will do no such thing," the master warned her, grumbling heavily into his moustache, barely flinching as she screamed and struggled within his grasp.

"They attacked us!" Laxus yelled back heavily, the electricity charging across his body expectedly.

"Let us show those bastards what happens when you threaten Fairy Tail," Mirajane cackled, cracking her knuckles and preparing herself for battle, thoroughly disappointed she had not had the opportunity to use her magic in the recent spar.

The master glared, seeing his unruly children were all ready to take on the rival guild despite his warnings. "I said we do no such thing," he said, his words reminding them all swiftly that he was still the master. "Pixie Wing has been nothing but a thorn in our side, this is true, but if we attack them now then we start a war that neither of us can win. Don't forget who we will be fighting," he said, his eyes pointedly pinned on Mirajane as he spoke. The takeover witch gritted her teeth, snarling like a wild beast but keeping her hands by her sides.

"They started it!" another shouted out, a cry from yet another member than none of the new team recognised.

"They took Gray," Natsu raged, determination in his eyes only kept back by his master's will. Even if he hadn't been officially welcomed into this Fairy Tail, it didn't mean that he didn't respect the saint wizard's wishes.

Small whispers clustered in groups around the guild. They watched the unknown pink haired wizard, the way that Happy hung on the stranger's back, the unnaturally fierce look in Erza's eyes, and even Lucy seemed unexpectedly close to them all. There were instant suspicions against the team, trust coming close as they looked upon their nakama that worried for the sake of the ice wielder. "He's a traitor," Simon spoke, his voice low as he watched Erza carefully, silently begging her to say that she had no place in this.

Mika shivered with anger, still being kept hostage by Makarov but knowing that she would have ran away the second he let go. "He used ice magic…" she said, spitting out the words as if they left a bad taste in her mouth. Her tone was not like the rest of the guild's, it ran far deeper through her veins and somehow she had been instantly transformed from the confident S-Class mage. There was something that clearly stung deeper, her eyes flashing wildly in the way that seemed as if she would almost burst into tears if she hadn't been so fuelled by hatred.

Gajeel folded his arms across his chest, looking at the new dragon slayer and already deciding that he didn't like him. "Nothing is stopping _you_ from following him," he said, watching Natsu's companions with his own suspicions. Part of him wanted to get rid of the second dragon slayer before he made his way officially into Fairy Tail, but there was another part of him that desperately wanted the same revenge that boiled inside the S-Class wizards, even if he could not deliver the blows himself. "It's not like you're a Fairy."

Natsu couldn't hold himself back from rushing to collide with the iron dragon slayer, but luckily Erza could. She grabbed his scarf, almost choking him as she dragged him back, her eyes pinned on the only person she knew whose opinion would carry weight. "If Gray is a traitor, then we knew nothing about it. And neither did our Gray," she explained as she gave Makarov a fierce stare. The master felt compelled to listen, driven by curiosity and the intense magical energy coming from the barmaid. Even he could see that she had become incredibly different in just a few short hours and he had a deep caring for even the lowest ranking member of his guild. "I doubt that you will believe it, but we have travelled through worlds. We come from a world which has been ruined by a great darkness, Zeref."

"What's a Zeref?"

"You expect us to believe this crap?"

A small smile appeared on Erza's face, realising now that her observations had been on the mark. These were not the reactions from anyone from their own timeline, no one in her own Fiore would throw around the name of the dark lord so easily or feign ignorance, especially not with the growing dark guild activity and the devastation that his demons had left. "I know that it's difficult to believe, but it's true. Zeref was a force that had left a huge darkness on the world, for over four hundred years. There are many things that we don't understand about this world ourselves, and we would appreciate if you were to explain as much as possible about this Fairy Tail. No details may be too small."

Silence.

Mirajane was the first to make a noise, coming to the requip wizard's side as she burst out laughing. "Erza, where did you come up with such a-" her words were suddenly cut off as Erza took her by the throat.

"Erza!" Lucy gasped, wondering what was suddenly going through her friend's mind.

Erza stared back at Mirajane, memories starting to flood back to her. They weren't her own memories, she suddenly realised, but those of the Erza that had walked these halls. _She was buckled over in tears, her head in her hands. Mirajane had hurt her again, she had made her feel like she was so incredibly small. She felt like a nothingness in the guildhall, and it was days like this when she felt like she had no right to be here. She gasped as she heard footsteps, wondering if it was the takeover wizard come to continue her bullying. Relief washed over her as she saw Simon standing before her and she ran into his arms, burying deep against her chest. "I hate her!" she yelled out, her hands in tiny pitiful fists. "I hate her I hate her I hate her!"_ Erza's eyes narrowed, seeing Mira squirming as she held onto her neck tightly. "You're not so strong without demon-souls in this world," she observed, slowly putting her down and pushing her far away enough to avoid the instant recoil.

Mira wobbled to her knees, looking up at Erza and feeling fear rushing through her veins. This woman in front of her was just a barmaid, a plaything of hers. Though she had no idea if dimension-travel could be true, there was no denying that this woman was not the Erza that they had grown alongside. She gritted her teeth, snarling like a beast, but smart enough not to come any closer.

Makarov stroked his beard, watching the two women battle with a certain interest. He even let go of Mika, realising that she was entranced by the sudden change of events and finally refusing to rush straight into danger. Natsu, however, was a different story. "We're wasting time!" he yelled out. "Will someone tell me where this Pixie Something-or-other actually is?!"

"Natsu, I don't believe that the people who took Gray are his enemies," Erza told him, knowing that it would take a lot to calm his anger.

Lucy wobbled as she walked forwards. "Erza's right…" she said, remembering everything she had seen from the ground. The expressions, the unspoken words and unexpected reactions had made her completely unable to draw on any of her spirits, desperately searching for a true enemy in the flurry and confusion. The reactions from those below, the Fairy Tail that they now stood beside, would make this conversation more dangerous than it should have been. "Lyon was on that ship, and I don't think that Mest was trying to hurt Gray," she said slowly, putting her hands together and trying to decide what was happening. "He seemed to recognise the pair… He protected them…"

The female fire wizard looked at them blankly, waiting for them to finish some incredibly unfunny joke. "I should think so…" she said slowly, trying to translate their blank faces. If she hadn't been convinced earlier, now she was certain that none of these people were from the Fairy Tail she knew. "You do realise that's his father, right?"

The team took a collective step backwards, looking at Mika as if she had grown another head. "Gray's father?" Lucy said, realising now the family resemblance had been unmistakable.

"Didn't Gray's father die…?" Happy asked, genuinely confused.

"Deliora. One of Zeref's creations," Erza said, holding a breath. Deliora had never existed, and for that she was happy for her friend. She could empathise the expression that had been on his face, however, knowing it hadn't been the pure joy that may have been expected. It was impossible to know if it was worth believing and getting your heart broken over, and sometimes the pure shock could be almost as painful as grief. Her eyes scanned back across the crowds, but quickly turned away before she could be caught staring at Simon.

Natsu looked up, tapping his chin "Oh, then his mother-"

The dark haired woman twisted her hands into a fiery Excalibur, gritting her teeth and pouncing on him. Her eyes burned in an angry flame, ignoring the fact that the dragon slayer would be completely immune to any damage that her creation blade threatened him with. "Think very, _very_ carefully before you finish that sentence, dragon breath," she hissed at him, the flame blade hissing alongside her.

Though the flames posed no threat, these was something in Mika's eyes which caught Natsu's attention. He laughed suddenly, realising that there was something very _Gray_ about the way that she was threatening him. "Oh, it's you! But Gray's an ice maker…?" he said, ducking quickly as her flaming blade sliced towards him.

"Brats, stop this," Makarov said quickly, slamming his hands together in an overpowered clap. He looked back at the children, realising that some of these people, though they shared familiar faces, were new hearts to Fairy Tail. They held their own burdens, their own pasts and challenges, and clearly some of those had made them stronger. The power he felt from all of them was incredible. "There clearly needs to be some explanation on both parts. And I think a drink is needed."

* * *

"Fairy Tail is a dark guild?"

Gray looked up at the familiar faces, almost feeling like he was going to cry just from staring up at them. It was so close to a family he had always wanted, the ones that had been taken from him so suddenly, but the fairy-tale had not played out exactly as he had hoped either. Instead of his mother and father by each other's side, the symbol of unity he had always had in his distant memories, he could see in an unexpected turn of events that his father was now alongside his master, Ur. He had been such a small boy when he'd last been able to look up at his parents, and he wondered how many of his memories actually held true. They had all been happy memories, until the very last one, but it would have been impossible for any family to have so many constant smiles, or any couple to always be so loving to one another. His father was just the man he had remembered him as, though. He was strong, tall and bold, wise enough to know what he wanted and confident enough to claim it. Then there was Ur, standing watching him with concern and a beautiful strength in her eyes. The look she gave to his father gave Gray even more mixed emotions, ones he didn't want to admit to himself, but just being able to see her alive and breathing was enough to bring him hope.

Silver nodded, placing a full drink in front of his son. "It was an official guild once upon a time, I'm sure. It's strange to think of that now, though," he murmured absently.

Gray's eyes faded into thought. It was a far stranger idea that Fairy Tail would be anything but loving and good. They had spent most of the last year fighting against one dark guild or another, and he had never expected that the guild itself could have been plunged into evil.

"It's not all so bad, Gray," Lisanna's soft voice told him. He glanced back at the youngest Strauss sibling, trying to remember exactly how many faces had been missing from Fairy Tail and were now in Pixie Wing instead. The last thing he had expected was for him to see two out of the three Strauss siblings in a separate guild, but remembering the vicious Mirajane he supposed that he could understand their conflict. "Most of us used to be in Fairy Tail, too, until our guild split about ten years ago. Most of the people in Fairy Tail… They're not bad people…" she whispered, awkwardly holding onto her arm as her thoughts drifted to her estranged sibling. "It takes a lot of courage to leave Fairy Tail. It's mostly a good guild, and Makarov was a wonderful master. It's only when you become S-Class…" she trailed away, looking up at her brother and leaning into him.

"The trial to become S-Class is not manly," Elfman frowned as he held his small sister closely.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Silver leaned forwards, remembering his son coming to him in confidence and desperation. Looking at the man in front of him now, it was nearly impossible for him to think that the same heart beat in their chests. "In Fairy Tail, though it's a dark guild, only the S-Class wizards can take any illegal requests. The trial to become S-Class is difficult, life-threatening, but it always is determined with a moral choice. If you are unlucky enough to get to that ranking, you can either take your first assassination job or become the next assassination job. Many of our members have come to Pixie Wing from that choice..." he said, spreading out his hand and pointing to those around him. Gray looked and began to realise that there were many people here who had been in the last race for the S-Class title in his own world. Cana nursed a drink, occasionally looking up at her father. Juvia hid in the corner watching them intently. Elfman kept his arm protectively over his little sister. Doranbolt, though not officially in the last tournament, had been there too. But none of the Lightning team had made their way to Pixie Wing, he realised as he realised Laxus had taken the plunge into being a S-Class assassin. With a twisting feeling in his stomach he also realised that his own mother had come from the S-class floor, and he remembered her discomforting words. ' _He'll be S-Class in no time_ …'

He felt suddenly sickened, his eyes growing wide as the world span around him. Fairy Tail was a dark guild and his mother a murderer. Even with four hundred years of difference he never saw any of this as a possibility. The terrifying feeling spread over him that he was possibly moments away from falling down the same road, and that she would be looking at him proudly. There were memories in the back of his mind, memories of going to his father as he first realised that Mika had plans for him to him to become S-Class. _"Please, please don't make me do it!"_ He shuddered at the thought of revealing such weakness, even to his own father, even for all of the right reasons, but in this world his heart had never been frozen at such a tender age. He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts out of his mind.

The door suddenly opened and two cloaked figures walked in. They looked nervous, even as the door shut, gently pulling forwards their hoods and hoping that the flickering candles wouldn't reveal their faces. One of them caught Gray with his gaze and suddenly jumped forwards. He dragged the ice mage up before Gray even had a chance to react, a gun in his hand and pointed it straight underneath Gray's chin. "What the hell was that back there?" Alzack hissed at him loudly.

Bisca put a hand on her husband's arm but it did little to shake away the terrified anger that coursed through him. Silver put an arm on both of their shoulders, strong and thoughtful. "Both of you. We shouldn't be talking so openly," he gestured to them, knowing that even pulling out the firearm had probably been too much attention. Gun-magic wasn't one of the most popular weaponry in Magnolia, and Alzack's firearm was had a specific decoration. His grip on them both tightened, knowing that Alzack would keep his grip on Gray as they were all dragged away into far room.

There Bisca finally took off her hood, the tears in her eyes now able to shine in the thin light of the Pixie Wing guild's back room. Alzack had more anger rooted inside of him, but his own tears were still there. "What the hell were you playing at?" he demanded of Gray, his gun still shaking in his hands.

Gray's eyes went wide, not understanding what he had done but knowing that he had caused some kind of distress to his friends. He tried to stumble through an explanation but his father's voice spoke instead. "He doesn't have any memory of our plan," Silver explained to them both, narrowing his eyes at the gunslinger pair and letting them know with the tone of his voice that he would show no mercy if they were to pull the trigger against his son. "We were doomed to fail anyway. That Erza was too strong, and the new dragon slayer. We hadn't accounted for their involvement. We never should have acted when the Grand Magic Games is on."

Alzack took a stumbling step back, feeling the energy from his body depleting. "We can't waste time!" he gasped, wanting to lash out and strike against anything he could. "You don't understand; we can't let our daughter grow up in that guild. Every day they're poisoning her mind, we needed this chance to get out!"

Gray's frown deepened, realising this wasn't the first time he had seen the two foreigners. They had been inside Fairy Tail when the airship had struck, he remembered, though he couldn't recall seeing either of them once the actual fighting begun. Pieces of conversations and desperate plots to bring their child back to an official guild suddenly embedded in Gray's memory, lodging itself inside and feeling like they were almost his own memories.

Silver put his hands on Alzack's shoulders, understanding the concerned father completely. He had spent many years trying to pull his own son from the dark guild, only now moments away from officially welcoming him to Pixie Wing. It had been a long and exhausting battle, and when Gray had finally come to him begging his help, he had felt as if his heart would burst from happiness. "We will get another chance, Alzack, I will not let your daughter stay in Fairy Tail," he promised him, feeling his hands shaking with the weight of Alzack's shuddering sobs. "Tell me, is she in a safe place now?" he asked him.

Alzack nodded, but it was Bisca that assured them. "She's with Levy," she told them. "But I'm worried that she's starting to suspect something…" she admitted.

Silver frowned, trying to think carefully for the safety of his comrades. "Can you trust her?" he asked carefully.

Bisca swallowed and nodded. "I can trust Levy," she said slowly. "But I don't trust the rest of them. Jet, Droy, Gajeel, they're all still in Fairy Tail. Even if Levy is an independent wizard now, she still has too many ties to Fairy Tail. We need to be more careful," she said, her words a warning mostly to her husband. Though she felt the anger and desperation inside of him, she knew that they needed to be each other's calming voice in this. She glanced back to Gray, her eyes thoughtful. "Your friends are safe," she assured him, knowing that would be the questions he would ask if not so stunned. "They told us that your memories had been mixed up with some… _Zeref_. Levy's looking into it now." Even as she said the comforting words, she was not so quick to forgive his blunder. She swung her own firearm up at him, pointing it straight to his chest. "If I find out that this is all some elaborate way to double cross us, Fullbuster, I will never forgive you."

Her threatening words left the room in a hollow silence as she pulled her gun back up, pulling her cloak low over her face once more. She waited until both her and Alzack were at the door once more before finally putting the weapon away and Gray found it impossible to defend himself when he still felt so lost in this world. Pixie Wing didn't seem to trust him, Fairy Tail had no reason to, and with new memories starting to slip into his mind he wasn't convinced that he trusted himself. If Gray had been double-crossing them, would he have even known?

A dark shadow followed the gunslingers out of the Pixie Wing guildhall.

* * *

 **THE PLOT THICKENS!**

 **Haha I'm seriously blown away with just how many of you guys are reading this. Its awesome. Thanks for reviews, favourites and followers, and even to you lurkers out there. :)**

 **I think I've finished writing this story last night! I'm not going to lie, I love the idea of this world so much I may actually end up writing a few one-shots set in this world just as a bit of fun afterwards!**


	5. Chapter 4 Retribution

When the sun next rose in the sky, the world panicked.

Across the globe, eyes looked upon the beautiful sunrise, from the coldest reaches of Isvan, to the deserts of Bosco, and all across the lush terrain of Fiore. As the sun rose, a deep dark mark appeared at its edges, snaking into the centre of the giant flaming ball of light and threatening a shadow across the land. The sun was fractured. Some cried that it was the end of the world, others marvelled at the mystery in front of them. In every kingdom, province and country, leaders and peasants alike pulled together their knowledge, the words of a strange sunrise across every lips. History books that had not been glanced at for hundreds of years were pulled from cellars, experts looked in bafflement at the sky, trying to recall if there had ever been such a drastic cosmological effect before.

Levy looked up, covering her hand as she tried to get a look at the mark without blinding herself. It was foolish, of course, to stare straight into the sun even if it had been tainted by darkness. The blue haired girl frowned and put her hands onto her hips. She had been one of the few that had been driven by insane curiosity at the strange sight, knowing that more research would need to be done but in order to do that she would need to know exactly what it was she was looking for. With new determination she rushed back into her house, scrambling through her mountains of scrolls and tomes, searching for an empty book to write notes into, a pen and a bright white sheet of parchment.

Asuka watched her with wide eyes, standing on the chair she had been given to sit on and resting her tiny hands on the back support, unknowingly almost tipping the balance. "What are you doing, Levy?" the cute and tiny girl asked her new guardian, watching Levy getting herself lost in books that she'd already filled.

A particularly large book landed squarely on top of the script wizard's head and she yelped. Annoyed at her own clumsiness but determined not to swear in front of Asuka, she scratched her head and tried to laugh. "You'll see!" she told her, as she finally found a book with some blank pages. Hurriedly she rushed back into the sunlight, fearing the natural phenomenon may have disappeared in her disorganised search. Placing the book down on the ground and picking up the piece of paper, she stuck out her tongue as she poked a crisp circle into the top sheet. "Here, hold this Asuka!" she offered the tiny girl.

"Ok!" Asuka replied happily, still standing on the chair holding the paper with a hole in it as instructed, high above the book. She looked down at the blank pages below, realising that now there was a tiny round bright light underneath her as the sun shone through, the dark shadow imprinted on the page. "There's the sun!" she giggled.

Levy smiled and lay down on the floor, drawing the outline that Asuka was holding out for her. "Yes, it is," she said, sticking out her tongue again as she traced the strange black line across the papers. "This is how we can see an eclipse without hurting our eyes," she instructed the inquisitive girl, trying to examine the mark and pooling all of her knowledge into the outline.

"What's a ecripse?" Asuka asked, tilting her head to the side.

Levy looked up and blushed, realising that she had a way of overcomplicating even the simplest of explanations. "An eclipse is when the sun goes black in the middle of the day, because its blocked by the moon, or by the earth, or by some kind of magic," she explained, trying to remember where she had put her book on astronomy. Though the words would be far too much for the small girl, she was certain there would be some pictures in it that might be of some interest.

"Is this an ecripse?" the child innocently asked, looking down at the mark the sun left and wobbling on her chair.

Levy was about to answer when she realised that her work was covered in a sudden shadow. She glanced up, frowning as she saw the huge dark haired man glancing down at him. Though it was hardly uncommon for her to have company from the dragon slayer, and it made her heart race more than it should have just to see him, when she was concentrating on such an interesting new task it was difficult for her not to get a little annoyed at him, or at least the shadow he cast. "It's pretty difficult to study the sun if you're blocking it…" she told Gajeel as she snapped her book shut, pulling herself to her feet.

Asuka jumped off the chair suddenly, wobbling as she fell to the ground heavily. If she had been injured she didn't seem to show it and instead rushed forwards, pushing the paper into the iron dragon slayer's hands. "Look, Gajeel, a ecripse!" she pointed to him proudly, trying to look underneath to see how the sunlight was streaming out.

Gajeel's hands tightened across the paper and it tore carelessly in his hands. Levy blinked, watching him for a second and realising he had yet to say a word. "Gajeel…?" she whispered slowly to him, taking a small step back and trying to ignore the child crying how he had broken her eclipse. "Gajeel, what's happened?" she asked gently, trying to read his darkened face.

He gritted his teeth, holding onto the paper in his hands as it dampened under his tears. "I'm an S-Class now," he said simply.

* * *

Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Erza wore their new responsibility with a heavy heart. As the morning was filled with whispers and dread from the fractured sun, already their perfect idea of a new world had been shattered apart. At the same time as the terrifying omen rose in the sky, Fairy Tail guild were told that for two of their members the world had ended in the most literal sense. The gunslinger pair – or what was left of them - had been found in the park, crucified against the giant cherry blossoms and displayed as a violent message to all.

The guild was ablaze with anger, regret, grief and the desire for vengeance, the despicable Pixie Wing on everyone's mind and hissed in a thousand curses. If it had been difficult to hold themselves back before, now fighting against their desire for vengeance seemed impossible. Still, the master forbade it. He had warned each and every one of them that anyone who went against his wishes and attacked the enemy guild would suffer the same fate as Alzack and Bisca, and the veteran Fairy Tail members knew that was no exaggeration. Most of the Fairy Tail members knew, or at least suspected, that it had not been Pixie Wing that had hurt their comrades at all. This kind of attack was not that of an official guild, but typical of Fairy Tail itself and Gajeel's sudden rise to the S-Class ranks had been noted. But the blame still lay with the Pixie's for tempting the gunslingers into their ranks. Everyone knew that the Fullbuster boy would no doubt be next, if they could find him.

Everyone except for Natsu and his team, who were all still oblivious to the dark comings and goings of their beloved guild. All they understood for certain was that in this world two of their closest comrades had been killed and the blame heavily rested in Pixie Wing. The rest was lost in a blur of anger and disbelief. They had come into this world to try and save thousands, to prevent the horrors of their own childhoods from ever existing, but now new horrors were unfolding, and it would only be a matter of time before they realised all of the darkness this world had faced so far. Through their uncertainty and fears, they knew they needed to band together, to show strength and determination and be the family for Asuka that Fairy Tail had been for all of them. Though the guild had been surprised when Lucy had volunteered to bring her back home, no one else had been overly willing to break the news to the new orphan.

Levy sat on the wall outside of her little hovel, her head in the middle of a book. She frowned to herself more than usual, struggling to piece together what should have been easy information for her to process. She knew exactly why her brain was clouded; she was grieving not only for her two friends but also for the murderer. He had goodness inside of him, she had always been able to see that, but now she questioned if she would ever be able to pull Gajeel back into the light. She was not willing to stop her research, no matter how much her heart ached, and while it had proved a good distraction the grief didn't make it easy to concentrate. She rubbed her eyes and looked up, seeing the Fairy Tail members, pulling her glasses down as she caught Lucy's eyes. A small smile crossed her face seeing the blond woman. Her heavy heart was instantly lightened a little, throwing down her book and rushing into the celestial spirit mage's arms.

Natsu and Erza watched them hug, realising it was more than just a simple embrace. The two women were able to lean on each other, even if only for a brief moment. Natsu and his friends had been told that Levy was now an independent wizard and while not sure of the exact reasons for her leaving Fairy Tail, it was clear it had nothing to do with her friendship to Lucy. "Levy…" Lucy began speaking slowly and softly, her hands resting into the script mage's. "Bisca-Alzack-" her voice choked.

Levy nodded. "I know," she said, her eyes quickly brimming with tears. She looked at Lucy with wide eyes, for the smallest of moments regretting not being inside one of the guilds and being able to be beside her loved ones in the time of difficulty. If Pixie Wing and Fairy Tail hadn't split none of this would have happened, she knew, and so little of her blame rested on the iron dragon slayer himself. She had warned him countless times that this could happen, that one day he would be called into S-Class ranks and given the terrible moral choice, but he had brushed her off with jokes and bravado. She had only wished she'd begged him once more, forced him to see the heart that she knew was inside of him.

"We're going to take Asuka back to Fairy Tail…" Natsu told Levy, his voice filled with emotion but overflowing in confidence.

Levy frowned at him, still unfamiliar with the new dragon slayer that she had met only the day before. "Are you sure that's… for the best?" she asked tentatively, careful not to play sides, though she had a feeling she had already slipped into one.

Erza nodded swiftly, "Please, Levy, can you bring her to us?"

Levy bit her lip and looked away. She had promised herself that she wouldn't be caught between Pixie Wing and Fairy Tail again, promised herself that she would always be independent, but she had never expected a challenge to come from Fairy Tail so soon. "You… can't…" she mumbled, looking down at the ground. She had remembered both the look on Alzack and Bisca's faces the last time she'd seen them and the words that had stumbled out of Gajeel's mouth. The parents had desperately wanted to move Asuka to a safe home, away from Fairy Tail and into a warming and loving guild. Gajeel had watched them beg him to spare their lives, to think of their daughter, to try and help them both raise her to be the best she could be. They had never wanted to betray their guild, they had only wanted to protect their daughter, and that had cost their lives. Levy shuddered at the thought. "Gray took her about an hour ago… She's with Pixie Wing…" she told them reluctantly.

"What?!" they yelled in unison.

"That cold hearted bastard! What does he think he's doing?!" Natsu shouted out, his hands bursting into brilliant flames.

Erza gripped her fists tight, not wanting to jump to conclusions but finding it very difficult in the circumstances. Two Fairy Tail members were dead and Gray had just taken their child under Pixie's Wing. No matter what her old memories told her, the words 'traitor' that had rushed around the guild hall blazed in her mind. As much as she tried to trust her own instincts, the truth was that her instincts were starting to merge with the Erza who had been in this world for years, and she had had her own motivations against Gray. "Can you tell us where their guild is?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Levy shuffled her feet. She felt like she was starting a new war between the two guilds and could only do so much to push them apart from each other. The casualties had already begun. "Their guildhall isn't far from here, but they won't be there. He said they were going to meet with the rest of the guild at the Grand Magical Games, in Crocus."

Natsu cursed even louder. Lucy gasped, putting her hands across her mouth as even more tears began to pour. Erza's eyes hardened. "Very well. Then we will go to Crocus and we will get Asuka back," she promised, already turning on her heel.

"Wait!" Levy called out suddenly, taking Lucy's arm before she could walk away. "There's… there's something else that you have to do when in Crocus..." she whispered to them. Now she had their attention, as eager as they were to rush after the traitor guild. "I realised as I was researching that sometimes when there are huge changes in the natural progression of time, sometimes there can be premonitions called 'ripples'. Then I remembered from what you were saying about winning the Grand Magical Games…" she stammered, recalling the complicated information that they had relayed to her the night before. It had all seemed so unbelievable then, but it only seemed to enchant her imagination and the more she researched the more she could see the pieces coming into place. The difficult part was trying to think of how to phrase her next words. "What date is it?" she asked them all.

"Huh?" Natsu asked.

"July 8th, X791…" Lucy mumbled quietly.

"Just as I thought," Levy said, her finger in the air. "In this world, it is still July 5th. What I think you are seeing now is what's known as a ripple in time, a premonition of what will happen if you activate the Eclipse Gate and change time."

Lucy took a stumbling step back. "You mean… we haven't actually stopped Zeref?" she asked, her eyes wide. Her heart felt as if it was suddenly stopping in her chest, realising this entire existence was only a dream. It was one that they had been determined to make a reality, but with the death of two of their friends and a potential guild war in front of them she couldn't deny that her resolve was wavering.

Levy shook her head. "And you never will, unless you can be at the Eclipse gate at the exact moment that you were in your own world. I still have to do more research on the eclipse gate…" she said, pushing up her glasses. "But with the mark on the sun I expect that most of the world will be researching 'eclipse' in one way or another. You should take a communication lacrima, but it'll take a huge amount of energy to make any conversations all the way from Crocus. We will only use it as a case of emergency."

Lucy gave Levy a quick and tight hug, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she did so. "Thank you so much…" she told her, glad that even through all of this mess Levy was still the same bright and intelligent woman and more importantly she was still a good friend. "I promise I will only call in an emergency. Good luck."

Levy tried to offer a bright smile to her friend. "You too…" she said softly, letting her run off again. Her heart beat quickly in her chest as she watched her friends dive into the sunset, whispering to herself "What have I done…?" as she felt the iron dragon slayer's presence from her doorway.

* * *

 **I am a horrible horrible person. Seriously. Even I shocked myself as I came up with and started writing what had happened in this chapter.**

 **Hopefully things are making a little more sense now. You're mostly all staying incredibly quiet so I'm not really sure what you're thinking haha**

 **Oh and fun fact I forgot to mention before. The main picture for this? Yeah, that's Mika. :)**


	6. Chapter 5 Remember

Erza stopped on her path suddenly, not daring to look back. She could feel the magical energy, feel memories flooding back from a familiar footstep. Her eyes went wide, struggling to keep her resolve as her hands turned into shaking fists, trying to tell herself that strength was the only way forwards. Strength was always the way forwards in her broken life. Her friends ahead of her stopped, looking at her in curiosity and glancing to the figure sulking behind her. Lucy suddenly grabbed Natsu, determined as she dragged him forwards, also clutching onto the tiny cat as she stormed away. Erza was being left alone with the man and she couldn't even curse her friend under her breath, knowing that Lucy only had her best interests in heart.

"You're leaving without telling anyone…?" the man asked, his voice filled with hurt.

Erza's hand tightened even harder, wanting to scream suddenly. She knew that she should be showered in happiness at hearing the voice of her long lost friend but now she only felt that she was letting her heart open to be crushed again. She had let herself become too broken too many times before. Eventually she drew in a shaky breath, staring back at Simon with a familiar coldness in her eyes that he would be unfamiliar with. "I am," she said, realising that his words were only directed at her and he was completely ignoring the companions that were rushing ahead. Even as she looked at him she realised that this was not the same Simon that had died in the Tower of Heaven, nor was it even the young boy that she had fought beside in the rebellion. This was a man that she had laughed with, true laughter and joy the likes of which the requip warrior had so rarely experienced in her own world.

He stepped forwards, feeling deeply hurt. Even though she had explained to the entire guild, he could never truly understand who the woman in front of her was. She was a shadow of the woman that he had loved, who he had really believed loved her back. "You know that Fairy Tail will come with you, don't you?" he asked, his voice breaking as he spoke to the stranger. "We won't abandon Asuka…" he mumbled, truly wishing he could say 'we won't abandon you'.

Erza gritted her teeth. She knew that the Fairy Tail from her world would do anything in their power to protect the small girl, even if she had not been an orphan. She could feel the grief creeping over her, trying to calm her beating heart by telling herself that this world was only an illusion for now. It wasn't worth her tears, not until it was real. "We can't wait," she said stiffly, knowing that was only partially true. There was really no reason to rush since she was confident that her friend would never lay a finger on the innocent child, but she still did not trust herself to wait in Fairy Tail another moment longer. They still had to return to Crocus in time for Eclipse to sync with their own world and until that moment she didn't want to waste her fragile emotions on the distorted guild. "We'll bring her back, Simon. I promise."

He put his hands over hers and her eyes went suddenly wide, refraining the urge to pull away quickly. She didn't know how to react from such intimate contact, but memories flooded to her of even more affectionate words from the young man. "I know you will, Erza," he said, giving her a warming smile and trying not to notice her flinch. "You always could do anything you put your mind to, you know?" he told her.

Erza's heart raced. Though she had instantly discounted the Erza of this world as being a weak-willed shadow of herself, looking into Simon's eyes she saw that suddenly she was the paler image. To him, Erza had always pushed herself further, loved harder, laughed loudly and spent her days making everyone else happy. She had no need to protect the people that she loved, content in only seeing their smiles with the sweetest of touches. She had determination, but without violence. Seeing the images pass before her eyes only made her angry at her own world, at the Tower of Heaven, at Zeref and his dark minions. The choice to be weak had been stripped from her at the most tender of ages, the ability to love and be loved had seemed like a cruel joke. She could feel her eyes watering, looking back at Simon and wishing that even for the briefest of moments she could strip down her armour and let him into her heart, enjoy the moment that they were together and genuinely happy. She shook her head quickly, reminding herself that this was not her world, not yet.

Simon tried to give her a comforting smile. "I don't understand what you've been through, Erza, but whatever Zeref did to your world it seemed to make you unhappy. I hope that when you come back you can start to enjoy your life again." He squeezed her hands tightly. "I'll be sure to save you some strawberry cake from St Alian's bakery for when you come home, alright?"

Erza blushed deeply. Whatever world she was in, there would always be a weakness for strawberry cake. "I would like that…" she admitted, not able to look him in the eye.

* * *

Gray held onto the small girl, carefully brushing the toddler's dark hair back as he stared into the sunset. Though he had never paid much attention to Asuka in his own world, since hearing of the terrible fate of her parents the ice mage had been quick to take Asuka in his arms and reluctant to let anyone else hold her. The youngest gunslinger had long since fallen asleep in his embrace, through her tears and confusion, but he had refused to put her down. There was something about her fate that he clung to, unable to shake the feeling that his new world was fleeting and driven by the desire to bring her happiness. He had fought so hard to break away from this destiny, only to land it into another's hands. Guilt consumed him and only holding onto the tiny girl calmed his nerves enough to look forwards.

"That brings me back…"

Gray had to pull himself out of his old memories and into the new ones, the reminder that they had been from another world looking straight at him. His old master was watching him care for the child with a familiar smile. She had a casually loving look on her face, exactly the expression that he had remembered seeing the day that she had pulled him from the wreckage of his destroyed home. He remembered the tears and screams of that day, remembered looking at Ur as if she had been a lifeline. Was this how Asuka would look at him now? He had never really thought about having children before, it wasn't something that he liked to dwell on when he had been convinced that his days would be numbered. Some time ago he had eventually convinced himself that throwing himself onto a blade was neither valiant nor practical, but he still had a difficult time telling himself that he would live past his twenties. He remembered all too well the heartache of watching his parents disappear before his eyes and couldn't even consider pushing the same fate onto another child.

Ur had, once upon a time, possibly thought the same. Even still she had made the sacrifice to give life to a beautiful young woman and in this world to give her wisdom and motherly love to a student. "I remember when I took Lyon in," she continued, leaning over the railings of the boat and watching the sunset fill her eyes with reminiscing glitter. "He was only a couple of years older than Asuka is now. But he was old enough to understand what had happened. She's lucky, in a way. It will take a long time for her to understand this."

Gray offered a grumbling response, not convinced that the young girl was as innocent as Ur had imagined. While the ideas of life and death had never been truly explained to Asuka, he suspected that she knew more than she should. It wouldn't take her long to realise the pain in her heart was never going away, but the desperately unpleasant truth was that the images of her parents probably would begin to fade. Though Gray had been a few years older when his similar path had been taken, now he saw the family that he had loved and lost he was struggling to piece together what was real and what had been his own wild and desperate imagination.

There was something else in Ur's words that Gray hung onto uncomfortably. "Lyon was an orphan too?" he asked, knowing it wasn't wise to ask such delicate questions without the fellow student nearby. Gray frowned deeply, realising just what a terrible friend he had been to the fellow ice mage. While Lyon had been the one to pull him from the wreckage and save him from his solitude, he knew very little about how he had actually ended up with Ur in the first place. Neither Lyon nor Gray commonly spoke of their parents and their original families, knowing that they were both created from tragedy and Ur was the only thing that mattered.

Ur nodded sadly, looking distant as she spoke. "Twelve years ago," she said slowly, gripping onto the railings. "I found him in a town that had been ravaged by the Sudden Death. People warned me against taking him in, told me I was sacrificing my own happiness and risking my life looking after him. All I could see was a child desperate to learn and be the most powerful mage alive," she smirked to herself, remembering the fierce determination in the white haired boy's eyes. "In truth, I think all he wanted was something to cling onto…" she whispered.

Gray frowned, finding that memories were beginning to piece together. He knew Lyon had been driven to almost complete destruction by his attempt to beat the most powerful wizard alive, his own master Ur. He frowned, trying to separate what had been his own life and what had been the life of the Gray that had walked this Earthland. He found himself unwilling to walk down his own footsteps when there were new ones to take, knowing that there were only painful memories in his own past. While it hadn't all been hopeful sunshine in this world, he had at least walked it with the people he most cared for. "Lyon and me…. We were friends?" he recalled tentatively.

Ur hesitated and nodded. "You were…" she said, obviously a little uncomfortable with explaining someone's own past to them. "You were very close, though you fought like cat and dog. I thought it was good for Lyon to have someone his own age around, so we spent a lot of time with your family, but your mother…" she shook her head, obviously piled by her own guilt. "She became deeply paranoid of the amount of time I was spending with you and your father. She insisted that you weren't allowed to learn ice magic, even going so far as to learn fire maker magic herself to teach you the opposite skill. As it turned out, she was exceedingly talented at it, and so were you…

"But there is a reason Fire Makers are so rare. Fire magic feeds on the strongest of emotions; Protectiveness, Anger, Excitement, Determination, Hatred… And you'll understand yourself that Maker magic comes from imagination and over time it shapes to your soul – or does the soul shape to the magic?" she sighed and shook her head, knowing that she was throwing wild claims into the wind. "All I can say is before Mika began learning the magic, she was a wonderfully sweet and caring woman," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. She had known that she had not been innocent in the exchange, and it had been Mika's initial paranoia which had caused her to train in such a dangerous skill in the first place. Ironically, if Mika had not been consumed by the flames of hatred then Silver would have probably stayed by her side and the ice maker would have never posed a threat to their loving family. It did not help Ur fight her guilt, however, and as she looked at Gray she expected to see the familiar blame in his angry eyes. Instead there was something icy cold there that she was unfamiliar with, but he looked more like his father than she had ever seen and it began to fill her with hope.

Gray kept himself composed. After everything he had learned, from the encounters between Fairy Tail and Pixie wing and from the fleeting memories that had been returning to him, he hadn't been surprised by any of the words that his old master gave. It felt as if her words had been a familiar story, but not quite one that he had lived. As much as he felt a part of this new world, his heart still beat with the love for his master as it always had, and he couldn't bring himself to blaming her for the destruction of his family. The important thing was that they were all alive. "I can't cast fire magic," he said under his breath, though as he said that he could feel his hands warming, feel the magical energy inside of him twisting to fit the vessel that he filled in this world. Inside of him, fire magic resided, waiting to reawaken as he fully stepped into the shoes that had been left for him.

Ur looked at him curiously and gave a smile. "You cast ice magic very well," she told him, remembering the huge protective shield at the battle of the Fairy Tail guildhall. "You must have had an excellent teacher."

The words choked out of his throat. "For a short time, yes."

Ur leaned backwards, letting his face disappear into darkness as the sun sank beneath the horizon. Her eyes still continued to catch whatever light remained, a brilliant red dazzling back at him and slowly changing into a mysterious blue of the growing moon. "Bisca and Alzack…" she said slowly, gesturing back at the child that was still resting in Gray's arms. He had barely noticed her anymore, suddenly now feeling her squirm with nightmares. "Did you know them well in your world?" she asked gently.

Gray considered the words carefully, a darkness covering his eyes. Did he know them well? Alzack and Bisca were constants of Fairy Tail, frequently on their own missions and faithful to the guild that they loved every day of their lives. He had many a drink by their side, but had he ever truly had a conversation with them? It was difficult to say exactly what they were to him, but it was clear that the two of them had been a rock within Fairy Tail. "They were family. Fairy Tail is family," he said, feeling the Fairy Tail mark burning through his chest and, even though it had been for the right reasons, deeply questioning his ties to Pixie Wing for the briefest of moments.

Leaning backwards, Ur's eyes softened. "It sounds lovely, Fairy Tail…" she breathed slowly. Though her own guild was deep in her heart, it had been an alliance built in fear and the constant threat of wars or retribution from the dark guild loomed over them every day. "I'm glad that you found a good family, Gray," she told him, hinting that she was realising more of his past than he could ever say aloud, simply from the sorrow in his eyes. As soon as she had spoken all of her suspicions had confirmed as the words clearly hit a painful place inside of him, his heart suddenly fractured into a thousand tiny pieces. She should have been little more than his father's mistress and yet somehow she had gained the ability to turn the strong man into a frail child. He had never shown her love before and she had received the cruellest of glares in the past, but now his expression crumpled as he held tightly onto the orphan. She realised that his life had walked through a darker path than she could have ever imagined. Gently she put a hand on his shoulder, wishing she had the words to say but knowing she didn't know him well enough to comfort him.

* * *

 **Two chapters in one day! (depending on your time zones, I guess) Woo! :)**

 **Also, I'm amazed at just how many views this is getting. So thanks lurkers :)**


	7. Chapter 6 Revelation

The Fairy Tail team sat on the train as Pixie Wing flew high overhead. It was clear that the normal transportation wouldn't get them to Crocus before their enemy had rekindled with the rest of their powerful guild, but while the small child was the reward of this war, victory was the only thing that mattered. There was no denying that they needed to go to Crocus regardless, knowing that whatever happened in order to change this course of history they would need to be at the Eclipse Gate by the seventh day of the Grand Magical Games.

Lucy looked up at the rising sun, wishing that it would rise whole today. Though not yet a part of this world, she couldn't help but panic over the crack that had appeared across the universe, thinking that whatever would cast light out of this improved world could only be a foreboding sign. The trees blocked her view and that was possibly a good thing if she didn't want to blinded by the sun, she reminded herself as she rubbed her eyes. The journey was long and horrific and she even didn't suffer from the crippling motion sickness that their companion did. Natsu was trying to sleep off the worst of it, or at least that was what Erza had explained to Lucy, though Lucy had her suspicions she'd knocked him out during her last trip to the restroom. It was probably for the best, the celestial wizard had to admit, pulling herself into a tight ball and continuing trying to find the sun between the leaves.

Once again, her thoughts went back to their lost comrades and her eyes watered uncontrollably. She had always been emotional, but the death of two of her Fairy Tail companions had struck her hard. Only the determination to protect their daughter had driven her forwards, but her words could only give her so much strength and now they were on the train in a grim silence it was hard to escape the way that her chest hurt.

"Lucy…" Erza's sudden speech broke her out of her internal torment, though the sudden jolt made a single tear break free and rush down Lucy's cheek. "Do you think that we should do this? Do you think this world is better than ours?" the redhead asked, her voice hollow and distracted as she looked out of the window.

The sudden question made Lucy's heart suddenly beat faster. It had never been an option; she knew that this was their world, a better world and the one with Zeref had been one coated in bloodshed and heartbreak. She had actually been a little surprised that it had been Erza of all people to ask this question, as she vaguely recalled the Tower of Heaven held troubled childhood secrets linked to a cult of Zeref. "Erza…" she breathed, her voice shaking as the thoughts began to creep on her. Was this world inherently better than their own? Were they necessarily happier?

"People don't like Exceed very much here." Lucy's eyes grew wide as she heard the upset tone in Happy's voice, his ears almost completely flat. "And no one seems to even know Natsu. People can be very mean in this world…"

"I-I-I'm sure that's not true!" Lucy stammered quickly, braving a smile for the little blue cat. "Right Erza?"

Erza continued to stare out of the window, her eyes clouded in darkness. She stroked the dragon slayers hair absently as he rested his head against her lap, paying little mind to the world outside of her inner conflicts. She stayed quiet for a while, receiving the extended stares of both Lucy and Happy as she carefully calculated all of her assessments. Her mind continued to wander back to Simon, the unfamiliar feelings towards him and the life that she could have had by his side. It wasn't hard to see why he had been so shocked to see her acting coldly and closed off from any kind of true weakness, but she still wasn't sure which version of herself she preferred. From all she had seen of this world so far, there had been both pain and joy and this wasn't the clear cut answer they had been promised. "The people of this world haven't had to endure the same hardships we have…" she observed, still staring out of her window thoughtfully. "We have been created into different people. Completely different lives. But…" she blushed suddenly, remembering the promise of strawberry cake on her return. "There are some benefits to this world."

Lucy watched her carefully. Happy, however, blushed and waved his tail around excitedly. "You mean Simoooooon," he suggested coyly.

"What did you say?!" Erza raged suddenly, trying to grab at the little blue cat as he suddenly flew back out of her reach.

The train suddenly slammed to a halt, throwing the blue cat thankfully even further out of the requip wizard's range and straight into Lucy's lap. Lucy looked around herself, realising that they were still in the middle of the forest. She had never experienced a train stopping so suddenly and unexpectedly, and fear began to creep in.

"Ah, uh, sorry folks, for the-uh, minor delay…" chimed the voice throughout the train, making even Natsu raise his head and listen to the announcement. "We seem to have hit a… minor obstruction and we will be working on turning this train around as soon as possible to the nearest station and making an alternative route. Thank you for your patience in your journey today."

There were groans from all of the passengers but Natsu breathed a deep sigh of relief, knowing that even if the journey was delayed it would take some time for them to turn the train around and in that time he could recover at least a little. He pulled away from Erza quickly and looked out of the window, curious what could possibly cause such a sudden delay as he opened the window wide. He pushed his head out, letting the wind blow through his pink spikes and taking the moment of relief from the cool air, relishing the moment of calm as the train refused to move. Suddenly, his hands tightening around the sides of the window. A deep frown crossed his face as he continued to breath in deep, sniffing the air until he was convinced. "Zeref's magic…" he whispered under his breath.

Erza, Lucy and Happy suddenly jumped up, looking at the dragon slayer in shock. "What?!" Lucy exclaimed, watching him carefully. "That's impossible! He isn't in this world!"

Natsu's brow deepened, knowing that Lucy was right but also trusting the instincts that rushed through his body. "It's definitely his magic," he said, remembering the explosive energy that had engulfed him in Tenrou Island. Only with his scarf had he and his friends survived the impact, but why the magical energy would be in this world was completely unknown to him. Suddenly, desperate and driven by his curiosity, he pushed the window open as far as it could go and climbed through, dropping down onto the ground below.

"Natsu!" Lucy called, leaning over the window and staring down at him in amazement. The conductor had already said that they were making preparations to turn the train around, though she had no idea how long it would take them to actually get moving. She couldn't risk her friend being left in the middle of nowhere in a strange new world. Happy was on her back quickly, taking her without complaint and dropping her gently back onto the ground beside the dragon slayer, confident that the requip wizard could make the fall without hesitation.

Natsu, however, continued to sniff the air as his eyes pinned to the front of the train, barely even aware that his friends were travelling beside him now. With every step he could feel the energy looming closer and darker, luring in with the familiar sting. Every step closer pushed his feet deeper into the ground, broke more twigs and leaves and branches under his feet and submerged the world into a grey gloom.

At the front of the train two conductors spoke to each other, scratching their heads at the huge trees that had collapsed onto the line. "It's the Sudden Death, alright…" one of them whispered to the other gravely, shaking his head in dismay as his companion prodded the dying tree. "She must be close…" he said, looking into the dark shadows and visibly shaking.

His companion jumped a mile, stammering "D-d-don't say stuff like that!" as he quickly pulled himself back onto the train, hoping that the iron walls could save him from whatever had decimated the landscape around them. The smell of death was in the air, a putrid deadly stench that seemed to far exceed that of the lingering wildlife and foliage that had collapsed around them. "We need to get these people as far away from here as possible!" he said, panic lacing his voice as he tried to pull on whatever levers and buttons as he could, gesturing for his friend to get back onto the magical transportation.

* * *

Tiny feet crunched the brittle leaves as the small girl rushed across the forest. She tried to chase the squirrel, laughing to herself as they dashed out of her hands. "Where are you going?" she joked with them, unable to see the terror in its eyes as it rushed away from the dark lady. It was moments like these where she could forget herself, forget the darkness and decay that she left in her path and have hope lift her spirits. She giggled, continuing to talk to the tiny squirrel as it dived between trees, reaching her hands out to the life that she craved. She jumped forwards, seeing the furred creature rushing into a nearby tree. Curiously she stood on her tip-toes, closing one eye as she glanced into the dark hole. "Aw, you have a friend…" she said slowly, realising that the squirrel had nestled against a mate inside the safety of the hollow tree, unable to escape as the giant eye blocked their only exit and entrance, pulling themselves into one last desperate embrace.

A sigh escaped the master's lips as she pushed herself away from the tree, her eyes filled with a sudden sorrow. She had so desperately wanted the companionship that she had only been able to catch in fleeting glimpses. Somewhere, decades ago, rested the memories of caring family and friends which had given her this love. In all her years walking Earthland she had found many similar promises, so many dedicated to giving her love and worship, but their affections had all been in their own interests and she had quickly discovered life was just so… fleeting. The quickness only made it more beautiful in her eyes, she thought sadly.

"No…" she whispered suddenly to herself as she grabbed her head, her beautiful golden curls twisting in her fingers. She closed her eyes tightly, trying all in her strength to fight against the power inside of her body. "No…!" she trembled, trying to think of anything but the beauty of life, of the wonders that came from a companionship even as simple as one squirrel nuzzling into another. Her eyes suddenly flew open wide, a burst of darkness spreading across her body and blasting through the air.

Tears ran down from her eyes as she fell down to her knees. She didn't have to look back into the tree to know that she had killed the squirrels, that she had killed everything around her. The trees were rotting, the birds no longer sang, the flowers had wilted and died. She had cast this curse too many times to be shedding so many tears, she told herself, but still her head was in her hands and the tears ran freely through her fingertips. All she had wanted was to know a moment of beauty, to feel less alone, to be able to touch another heart and know that she was not doomed to walk an eternity alone.

Suddenly she raised her head, her endless breath catching in her chest. There was something strange in the air, a feeling that through her decades that she had never expected to ever share. Where everyday life had been filled with a black death and a smothered white life, there was something now she could sense dancing in between the two. Her heart almost stopped, eyes wide and trying to process what she was feeling. Yes, there was another in this world that walked in her path, another that would share her heartbreak for endless eternity. Finally, Mavis Vermilion would have an immortal companion.

* * *

Natsu continued to sniff the air, pushing back the leaves as they crushed easily in his hands. The forest was covered in patches of beautiful greenery, flowers blooming in the warm summer sunlight, life in abundance. Then, only a few short steps forward, the decay would begin. The leaves dropped to the ground, the earth twisted under dying weeds, bodies of animals that had been caught in the devastation without even a single insect alive to enjoy the new feast. The chill in the air was enough to make anyone's hair stand on air, but it was the familiarity which sunk its claws into Natsu's mind, pushing him forwards.

Lucy held herself as she shivered, feeling little warmth from the broken sun above them as she looked at the death around her. "I can't believe the train left without us…" she murmured under her breath, trying to think how they could possibly get to Crocus in time now. "Still, I can't blame them for wanting to get out of here… It's so creepy…" she said, her body shuddering once again.

"They called it the Sudden Death…" Erza recalled, trying to look around for any kind of clues to move them forwards quickly. She had never felt Zeref's true power but this certainly looked like the decimation that he had a reputation for. It seemed impossible to believe. If this was not a world without Zeref, then what alternative reality had they gone into? "Are you sure this is Zeref's magic?" she asked Natsu again.

He frowned, deeply serious as he concentrated on the looming threat. "It's definitely his magic…" he said, "but I don't smell him anywhere…" he did add. The pattern of the darkness and the magic he had seen on Tenrou island led Natsu to believe the spell would usually circle around the centre of the dark mage and consume an even spread around him with death, but even as he stood in the eye of the storm he couldn't smell Zeref at all. There was another scent but it was one that he didn't recognise. It did strangely keep memories of Tenrou Island firmly at the front of his mind, however.

Lucy looked up at the sunlight, once more trying to peer through the holes of the leaves and up at the twisted mark dashed across the sun. Yet another part of this world that made her skin crawl. "The Sudden Death…" she said to herself, playing with the words in her mind. For some reason they brought a sadness that went beyond animals to her, memories that refused to make their way to the surface. "Zeref's magic… Pixie Wing…" she thought out loud, frowning and holding onto her chin.

"Hm?" Natsu stopped his walking suddenly, realising that it was safe to trust Lucy's instincts when her brain worked in this way. "What is it Luce?"

The celestial wizard continued to frown, connecting dots which had already been laid before her by another Lucy. "It's just a thought. Somehow we have come to this world that never had Zeref, but I can't help but wonder how it was decided which world we would step into…" she mused absently.

"How do you mean?" Erza asked her, her entire concentration now on the blond woman.

Lucy looked back up to the sun, not yet able to make the link but knowing that somehow the crack had to be connected. "Every single day since Zeref was supposedly destroyed, there would be new choices to be made. Levy called this a ripple, didn't she?" she asked, pulling on a twig and drawing a 'z' across the ground. "Every decision, even a simple yes or no, or right or left, would create separate possible worlds. Parallel worlds, like Edolas…." She circled the 'z' and drew a larger circle around it, and a larger one again around that, the 'z' surrounded in spreading marks mimicking a pebble dropping into a still river. "Just like a ripple, the possibilities spread, and we're only on one of thousands of those possibilities. We've already established that this world isn't what we were thinking it would be, so I don't think we got here from what we wanted or expected…" she said frowning, remembering the shocked looks as they had walked into the guild with Natsu walking beside them. The ice mage had seemed surprised to see his parents and she couldn't imagine that he would have wanted to see them at war with one another: Even in her own twisted family, the love of her parents had for each other had kept her heart warmed. Overall, this world had been anything but expected, which was what had made her so curious.

Natsu didn't get the trail of her thoughts, not even with the wonderful diagram that had been placed before him. Erza pretended to follow more than she did, but she still struggled to find any relevance to it all. "So you believe that we have been randomly transported to one of these possible timelines?" she asked, trying to sound confident.

Lucy frowned. "I think there are too many coincidences for this to be random… After all, it's been four hundred years. There must be many worlds in which we never ever existed," she said, tapping her chin with the end of the stick. "I have a theory that this world is as close to our own world as it can get without Zeref…" she said, creating a stick figure next to the ripples in the diagram, pointing an arrow between the figure and the closest and largest circle.

Erza leaned down, frowning. "Isn't that what we wanted?"

Lucy sighed heavily. "It means that we've done all of this to change as little as possible… I don't know if this world is better or worse than ours, especially after…" she caught herself from saying the words, the sharp pain of grief plunging itself straight into her chest. She drew a shaking breath, trying to continue, "But somewhere in this world, even though Zeref never existed, a lot of the same choices were made. Is it possible that this world has their own version of Zeref?"

Natsu's eyes went wide. He certainly understood that. The magical energy around him was charged in exactly the same way that he had been familiar with, but as Lucy had pointed out there was still a void where Zeref should have been and another scent lingering across these forests.

"I don't think that it means the worst," Lucy continued, standing back up straight and suddenly eager to keep walking away from her own foreboding words. "I just think that it's not so impossible that some of the evil things that Zeref did could have been done by someone else. Maybe including his magic. This world definitely has benefits though. We've seen that there has been no Deliora and it's pretty obvious the population of Magnolia is at least triple ours. There is some goodness in that at least, right?"

"Aye!" Happy said cheerfully, liking the idea of a nice simple answer.

Lucy smiled back at the small cat, eager for his hope but knowing he had been the exact worst reminder that her victories had not necessarily been good omens. It was the Exceed that had suffered from the overpopulation. From what conversations she had picked up on, when the Exceed appeared seven years ago, the already depleted resources of Fiore became an even greater risk. She had noticed the glares that had been given to the Exceed and had only hoped that Happy had been oblivious to the racism. Even this simple goodness, the preservation of life, had somehow become tainted into something wicked. She kept a smile on her face for their sake though, determined that in this world there had to be joy.

"This world isn't such a bad place, you know," Erza said, as if somehow able to see straight through her friend's weak smile. "Truly, there are happy memories here. They've been coming to me more frequently," she said, though she had to admit some of them made her want to shake the woman that she had been. Erza had been so weak in this world, both in body and in mind, but she had been able to give herself to her friends in a way that the armoured wizard's strength never allowed her to. She had seen a different look in her friend's eyes as she watched them and something about that made her reluctant to give up on this world.

"Yeah!" Happy chimed in, spinning his tail around. "I'm remembering more too. So many different kinds of fish…" his eyes went wide, memories of every meal he'd ever had in this world making his mouth water.

Lucy looked up at her friends, surprised. "Hey, yeah…" she mused out loud. "I thought that I was getting pretty bad at remembering details, but I think that maybe that was from different memories in this world…" It was a confusing concept for her and actually she was incredibly close to a truth that she couldn't give herself credit for. While the world had been different to their own for many ways, the steps that Lucy had taken in her life, as the barer of the keys to the Eclipse Gate, had been almost identical. This ripple had been the closest to her own world, the Lucys from both dimensions were almost identical. This made it incredibly difficult for her to explain the new memories and differences, for her to separate which father had been her own, which Fairy Tail she had been a member of, which hearts she had touched. "What about you, Natsu?" she thought suddenly, remembering how none of them had recognised the young dragon slayer in the guild. "Do you remember anything about your life here?" she asked eagerly, hoping that they would finally fit together the final piece.

Natsu paused and thought for a moment, trying to pull anything from his head. This seemed to be something that everyone else had been able to access with ease but everything about this world still seemed to reject the Dragneel. He could only remember his own timeline, his own guild and the friends that he had loved. He remembered Igneel teaching him how to read and write, fighting with Gray by the riverside, running away from an angry Erza, holding Happy's egg close to keep it warm, meeting the celestial wizard and inviting her to the guild. Even these familiar memories seemed more difficult to pull on than they should have been, he realised, though he didn't dare say it out loud. Eventually he shook his head. "Nope. Nothing," he said, a little disappointed though secretly glad that he didn't have to watch how sad his life would have been without Fairy Tail.

The disappointment spread to his friends faces, seeing that it hadn't only been Fairy Tail that had been devoid of him in this world. Lucy's twisted her feet awkwardly into the dirt, not able to meet their eyes as she dared to ask the question "If Natsu isn't a part of this world… What happens to him when we activate the Eclipse?"

* * *

 **Hey Fairy Tail Fans!**

 **Sorry there is SO much explanation going into this chapter. I hope that it all makes sense. Please let me know if there's anything that doesn't particularly. If its not -supposed- to make sense then fine, but I think most points to this chapter are supposed to be clear now.**

 **Also, foreboding.**

 **A big thanks to everyone following and who have favourited this story. Even after, you know, the last chapter? Hope you're still enjoying it!**

 **Remember to review 3**


	8. Chapter 7 Reflect

**Hey Fairy Tail Fans!**

 **Just a quick warning - I've seen quite a few more views on the later chapters than the earlier ones.  
I am a binge poster so just make sure you've read all of the previous chapters before the latest one :)**

* * *

As night brushed over the town of Magnolia, Fairy Tail rested uneasily. While they had been a dark guild for years, inside of these four walls they never saw themselves as inherently bad people. Makarov had always felt that he had been a caring and considerate master, taking in children and adults without homes, many of them already on the run from the law. As the guild famed for its founder, it was difficult to shake the reputation that had been laid before them and Makarov knew that in becoming a dark guild they could do more to shield its members from the notorious National Army. While every mercenary in town knew the names and bounties of every member of Fairy Tail, they knew the consequences of dealing with Fiore's strongest guild weren't worth any glory or jewels. It was this kind of protection that kept him from turning the guild to good, though it was a choice that weighed heavily on his failing heart. It was undeniable that some of the kindest of men and women were blackened by the Fairy Tail emblem, many of them not even realising the irreparable damage on their souls. Gajeel was one of these unfortunate victims, Makarov knew this, but he also had his fears that the dragon slayer would have attempted to leave to a far worse guild if not elevated in station before his weaker rivals. Though the trial to become S-Class was soul destroying, it was enough to create a memorable barrier between the law-abiding guild members and the assassins. In truth, the guild was only a dark guild to five unlucky members – Mirajane, Mika, Laxus, Freed, and now Gajeel.

Makarov poured another drink for himself, sitting alone at the bar of the guildhall. From the outside it looked empty, but he had been aware of the tall figure standing in the doorway cloaked in shadow. Truly there was no reason for the dramatic entrance, but he supposed that was a trait that second generation dragon slayer had probably inherited from himself. "Laxus," Makarov said into his drink, taking a sip and with the single word allowing his grandson to join him.

Laxus gritted his teeth. He hadn't been ready for the invitation, wanting to prepare himself for the talk with his grandfather. He stepped forwards slowly, hoping that the words would come to him as he spoke. "People are starting to talk," he grunted.

"Good," the older man grumped, refilling the drink again and putting the bottle purposefully between himself and Laxus, neither encouraging nor discouraging him to pour his own drink. "I expect you brats to be able to think for yourselves."

Laxus watched him carefully. He was one of the few people in the guild that new just how pure Marakov's heart truly was. Makarov had been a guild master for a long time, since before the guild had tipped from 'unofficial' to 'dark'. Laxus had grown in these halls, watched the way that they had changed, heard the arguments between his father and grandfather on how Fairy Tail should be run. Deep down, Makarov cared more than his heart could take. He knew he wasn't suited for this guild, but that didn't make him a bad master. "Pixie Wing went one step too far this time, Gramps," he groaned, knowing that the words were painful but needed to be said.

Makarov frowned, noting that Laxus hadn't taken a seat beside him. He was standing behind, his face no doubt twisted in conflicting emotions and unwilling to show that even to his own family. "They tried to take two of our members," he said, downing his drink before he could bring himself to say the next words. "We paid them back. We're even. There's no more to be done," he said, trying desperately to push the image of the tiny girl out of his mind as he spoke such cold words.

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "Three," he reminded him sourly. "They got away with taking Gray, remember?"

"Bah, that's a Fullbuster issue," Makarov grumbled. He knew his job would have been a thousand times easier without having to deal with the hot-headed Mika, though it pained him to think that she would probably be the second strongest contender as guild master, only beaten by the master's own bloodline. "We're not dealing with another one of their domestics," he said, knowing that if Mika could hear him now she would either throw a fireball into his moustache for speaking so casually about her family's betrayal or demand that the entire guild stays out of her personal life. It was incredibly difficult to tell how the hot-headed woman would ever react, but either way she would have been passionate and demanding.

Laxus smirked, knowing that was a fitting way to put it. Finally, he pulled himself onto the chair, pushing it far back as he poured himself some of the amber liquid. "Still, that won't stop people talking. They tried to attack us, and we're the dark guild. It shouldn't be us holding back our punches, but we keep losing members to Pixie Wing," he swirled the thick alcohol in his glass, staring into it before he took his sip. "Rumours are already starting, old man. Fairy Tail is weaker than Pixie Wing. They've gone to the Grand Magical Games, and you know if they win they'll be seen as the strongest guild in Fiore. Not the strongest _official_ guild, the strongest _guild._ "

Makarov frown deepened, pouring himself a glass that almost overfilled. Laxus was right, Pixie Wing was ready to climb their way to the top. Already some of his members had gone to fight against them, but there was no way that they would have been able to contend with the likes of Guildarts, even with their heightened powers and determination. The truth was that while strength accounted for a lot, the appearance of strength could mean so much more. The world would be watching Pixie Wing, cheering on the heroes that the world desperately wanted. If they were the winners, they would instantly look indestructible. Makarov pushed his instincts back, trying to tell himself that it was for the good of the guild. Making Gajeel an S-Class wizard was for the good of the guild. Placing the death penalty against Bisca and Alzack was for the good of the guild. Now, taking on Pixie Wing, no matter how many lives were lost, was for the good of the guild. "We leave tomorrow."

* * *

A new dawn passed over Fiore and the sun rose once again with darkness in its centre. The scholars said that the crack across the sun was growing, that the mark was passing over more of the sunlight. The clouds blocked the unnatural sunrise for most of the morning, but it did little to stop people from worrying and disappearing into panic. It now wasn't all so uncommon to see people rushing through the towns, proclaiming the end of the world. Others spent every penny they had ever earned on everything from several months' worth provisions to the diamonds that they had been eyeing for their entire lives. When the giant chasm of the unknown was unleashed upon the world, people reacted in all different ways.

For the people of Crocus, the Grand Magical Games was a well needed distraction for many. They cheered and cried out as their favourite teams entered the ring, gambled away their life savings while the contestants below gave their all. The commentators made a point to mention the sky and weather as little as possible, knowing this was truly what their audience needed for their escapism. The clouds covered the majority of the problem from sight, at least.

In the light of everything happening, the giant airship landing on the edge of Crocus was really not a huge consideration. They still received curious glances, but there had been so many unbelievable sights that they barely warranted a second look. This suited Pixie Wing perfectly fine as they were able to keep the giant creation abandoned and make their way straight into the heart of the festivities.

Gray looked around himself, taking in all of the colours and bright patterns. It looked so much like the Crocus that he had been a part of just a few days before, and it seemed impossible to shake the joy that was spread around. Asuka had been passed onto one of the other members of the guild eventually and he had to admit that while he wanted to care for her he was glad of the respite as he walked through the town. It was important that his heart finally had this time to mend, to realise that the horrors he had experienced his whole life were not necessarily going to follow him forever. He let himself smile at the carnival of wizards, though it wasn't as wide as it could have been it held more joy than he had felt for many years.

"You need to make sure that your mark is covered here," he was warned sharply, Lyon's words breaking him out of his happy dream. The frown planted back on Gray's face, glancing towards the other ice mage and realising that he was being spoken to in all seriousness. "Fairy Tail and all members of all dark guilds, are banned in Crocus. Usually they can let it slide if the person doesn't have a bounty on their head, but during the Grand Magical Games they can be really strict. If anyone asks, you're a part of Pixie Wing already, ok?"

Gray gritted his teeth. "It's not like I'm just going to show off my mark," he snapped, but then suddenly caught himself by the shock of his words. He suddenly thought about how strange it was that those words were true. Since coming back to this world, he hadn't stripped. Not _once_. Part of him wanted to celebrate this as a victory, but deep down he knew that there was something more to it. The longer he was in this world, the more his version of himself twisted into the Gray that had never endured his hardships. As wonderful as it was, it was also terrifying. There had been so much darkness in his life he wasn't sure how he would survive without it. There was also something about the lack of his habit that reminded him that he'd never been able to learn from Ur, and even though they had been born from sadness the memories of his master and step-brother were ones he was unwilling to let go of.

Lyon tensed, clearly used to a far worse temper than Gray's current one. He continued his warning, however, knowing that while the two had their differences, no matter what world they were from, there would always be a close childhood connection. "You see those guys in the armour?" he asked him, though it would have been impossible to miss the white-armoured mages dotted all around. "That's the National Army. If they find you're Fairy Tail, even we won't be able to protect you."

"I said I've got it," Gray snapped again, though he surprised himself once again with his quick words. He was usually far more cool, more calculating, even when irritated by his old rival. He couldn't even give the excuse that he was in a foul mood, as his spirits were lifted far beyond what he could have imagined. Before he could dwell on this anymore, however, his attention was suddenly brought upwards to the giant lacrimas which showed the teams walking into the arena far away in the mountain pass. They spoke excitedly of the day's events and Gray commented "So, it really is July 6th…" under his breath.

Lyon looked at him quizzically.

"I saw a newspaper earlier which said July 6th," Gray half-heartedly shrugged his shoulders. "I had wondered. I don't know the reason why, but this world is four days behind mine..." he murmured, mostly to himself as he wasn't convinced that anyone else had been particularly concerned with his sudden appearance into the world. He was certain the lapse in time was some kind of error, an inaccuracy that had appeared in 400 years of difference. So much had changed, what would a date matter? "At least it means that we'll be in time to see the last of the games," he smiled wistfully, wondering what the Grand Magical Games would be like to experience as a mere spectator instead of being in the heart of the commotion.

With those memories came back a painful guilt in his chest. Guilt was never far from him, he decided, and now that he had Ur back by his side the powerful emotion would take advantage of any new scenario. This time, it reminded him of the friends he had left back in Magnolia. He had fought by their side in his own version of the Games and over these last few months there had barely been a mission he had taken without their support. As soon as he had heard about the fantastic new world without Zeref, he knew that he would go on a mission to find the parents and guardian that he had lost to the dark lord's evil creation, Deliora. He had never told the others, however, assuming that he would have more time to settle before taking himself onto the fulfilling journey. He imagined that they probably would have even volunteered to come, and he would have considered the company even if he eventually declined. It was a very personal journey, to try to find his mother, father and Ur. This was always a mission he had wanted to take alone, but he had wanted the chance to tell his friends that he would be safe.

It hadn't only been those friends that he had left behind, he reminded himself, but also his mother. That stung most of all, knowing that she had been so close to him and he hadn't even been able to utter a word to her. He didn't know what to say, even with Ur and Silver he didn't have any words to express the sadness that had rested with him for over a decade. Their pride made all of the difference, however, but in doing so he had been nothing but a disappointment to his mother.

Lyon watched his childhood friend with growing concern. He had never seen Gray so thoughtful before, with such a darkness in his eyes. He almost wanted to reach out to him, to tell him he understood how he felt, but there was still so little of this man he knew. He couldn't deny he had his suspicions and doubts under the cloak of Gray's sudden amnesia. He couldn't even try to forgive him, not after his mistakes had cost lives, and not for the first time. Though his own master had been quick to defend Gray, Lyon couldn't bring himself to leave the past behind. The dark haired wizard had double crossed both guilds so many times that the idea of his loyalty was nothing more than a joke. Lyon supposed that it was only natural for a flame to bend whichever way the wind blew.

Silver lifted Asuka onto his shoulders suddenly, giving her the best view of the giant communication lacrimas which filled the sky with images of the contesting guilds. "Look, Asuka!" he said suddenly, trying desperately to lift her spirits and keep the child full of wonder. "There's Pixie Wing. There's our guild…"

Asuka looked up with giant curious eyes, clutching the mature man's shirt as she steadied herself on his shoulders. Her eyes brightened more at each face that she saw, though she recognised none of them. In time she would know them all and love them as her own nakama, but that would take many years for her to repair the damage that Fairy Tail had already left on her.

Gray watched curiously as the lacrima illuminated the faces of the Pixie Wing contestants. There had been so many that he had already seen in this guild, including the incredibly powerful Guildarts, he had found it impossible to think that the guild could possibly hold more strength. His fears were somewhat confirmed as Ur beside him put her hands on her hips, explaining "They're not our strongest team today, but taking on Fairy Tail took priority. Even still, I have every faith in every member of Pixie Wing."

Gray nodded, realising now more than ever that this guild he was becoming a part of was even more Fairy Tail than Fairy Tail itself. He found his heart bursting with pride even at the faces that he did not recognise. He had been amazed that Max had placed himself into the ring, but he found his eyes falling on the smallest member of the group. The blue haired teen wore a determined look on her face, tiny fists clenched with a determined look on her face. He recognised her expression, knowing that her mind was elsewhere but her fists were ready to punch through anything, even if offensive magic had never been her strength. Wendy Marvell had the look of a winner on her face, and Gray suddenly had the urge to cry out in applause for her. The audience was only too willing to applaud for her, he noticed, as the gently smile crossed his face again. He knew she would make whatever guild she was a part of proud.

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 **I love Lyon :)**

 **I really don't know what else to say. Reviews are always loved? And thanks to all the new followers now !**

 **Oh and have you noticed the chapter titles?**

 **Deboo: Haha thanks, I like to keep it interesting! ;) I'm sure we'll find out more about Natsu soon, but even Natsu still has no idea what's going on *nothing new there haha!***


	9. Chapter 8 Reconsider

When the rest of Pixie Wing heard of the terrible fate of the gunslingers, a look of despair crossed their faces. They had already been unashamed in their suspicious glances towards the dark haired traitor, but upon hearing that his unintended blunder had cost them two of their newest recruits and left a defenceless child orphaned, the looks of horror quickly became anger. They cursed and cried and were already plotting revenge against Fairy Tail. There were, as always, talks of retrieving the loved ones that had been left behind in the guild, even more determined despite their defeat. Blame was quickly uttered between the hatred and it quickly became quite a hostile place for Gray to stay. If not for the small girl in his arms then there may have even been violence, even with Silver and Ur quick to defend him. In hurried explanations they told the rest of the guild of his time-travel, but it was clear that the Pixies had been left sceptical. Guilt left Gray's own tongue useless to defend himself and he was only able to hold onto Asuka tightly.

The small dark haired girl snuggled against his chest, looking around with wide eyes and seeing a growing crowd of people that she didn't yet recognise. "Gray…" she murmured, pushing her face up against him and gripping his shirt tightly in her small hands. "I'm scared, Gray."

Surprised by her sudden words he pulled his attention away from the threatening storm ahead, looking down at her and trying to see her face. She had buried herself against him tightly, however, pulling his white and blue jacket across her eyes. "You don't have anything to be afraid of," he told her gently. Though he knew the pain that she was going through vividly, he had no idea how he would have wanted someone to act around him. Just seeing her sorrow had brought his own memories back in terrifying flashes, but it had only made him more determined to keep her close. At such a young age she need caring for more than anyone. "These people are your new friends," he defended the new guild, despite their hostility towards him. He had considered calling them 'family', but didn't want her to be under the impression Bisca and Alzack could so easily be replaced.

Asuka dared to look out, staring at the strangers around them. Just over half of the guild had been aboard the giant airship with her as they escaped Fairy Tail, but it had all been so overwhelming she had barely looked up from the same small handful of faces. When in the centre of the celebration she had been flooded with exciting distractions but in the hallways of the grand stadium in the centre of harsh words, even if they hadn't been directed at her, there was nowhere left to turn. Now there were even more strangers and to make matters worse this place was incredibly unfamiliar. Just as she was starting to adjust herself to the new sensations, the cheering of crowds began again, echoing through the solid stone hallways. Some great victory had been won in the arena beside them but it was between two of the rival guilds and it mattered little compared to the child's devastation. She jumped at the sound, curling up into a tight ball. "I want to go home…" she whimpered, tears in her eyes.

Gray's heart sank. There would be no home for this little girl, not for some time. The idea seemed to whisper through the new guild quickly, as the question finally became vocal. "Who will look after her?" The guild had been more than happy for Asuka to be their youngest member, and there had never been a doubt that she would be cared for, but they had always been under the impression that she would also have her parents to be beside her. Though the guild had taken in orphans before, the youngest had been at least five years older than Asuka was now and at the age where, to an extent, they were able to care for themselves.

"She seems to have taken a shine to Gray," Ur commented, smiling at him proudly and once more seeing a part of her own history in him.

Gray's teeth gritted. He was too young for this, he knew, and too irresponsible. He was reckless with his own life, even in this world, and it was clear that most of Pixie Wing would have difficulty in trusting him to care for the child. Despite this, the guilt of the two gunslingers pushed the weight of the child heavily into his arms and if he would make her life even the smallest bit better, then ultimately it would be just another way to sacrifice himself. There were worse punishments than helping a young girl live.

Macao stepped forwards, looking at the small and shivering child in Gray's arms. He had listened carefully and silently up until now, though he certainly could have given his opinion like the rest of them, but since becoming the master of Pixie Wing he had learnt to listen first and judge later. He too had been a key player in getting Bisca and Alzack away from Fairy Tail, helping construct the plans which had ultimately got them killed. He couldn't deny that the weight of that responsibility had been placed as equally on his own shoulder's as anyone's, perhaps even more so, but now was not the time to dwell on might-have-beens. He was a father himself, after all, and he knew exactly what was going through her parents' minds. "You must be Asuka, hm?" he spoke to her gently, leaning down and trying to catch her eyes. "My name is Macao, I'm the master of Pixie Wing, and this is my boy Romeo. Welcome to our guild," he said, proud of both his guild and his child. "If you need anything, you come to me."

Asuka looked up, wiping her eyes as she looked up at the middle-aged man and down to his boy. Though he wasn't particularly a child anymore, he was one of the youngest in the guild that she had seen so far. She looked back at Macao, seeing kindness even though she didn't understand what any of it meant. Then she looked back up at Gray, realising that there was less kindness in his eyes and more sadness. The ice maker nodded down to her, letting her know that she could trust this new man. Asuka's arms opened to father and Macao gladly picked her up, easily putting her on his shoulder and letting her look around all of the new faces of her guild from a comfortable distance.

"Asuka is a member of Pixie Wing now. We will _all_ care for her," he announced, letting them all see the child and know how seriously he took those words. "This we owe to Bisca and Alzack. We owe this to Pixie Wing. Anyone has a problem with this, they have me to answer to."

* * *

Natsu's head was swimming. They had eventually reached Crocus, though it had taken them six hours to finally leave the forest and find a town and three separate carriages to make the last journey to the capital. Most of the inhabitants who were making their way to Crocus for the Grand Magical Games were already there and had been since the first day of the festival. They had spent thousands in jewel just to bribe the few free travellers to make the way to the capital and the trip had not exactly been in the lap of luxury. Just the thought of the long and difficult journey made the dragon slayer want to throw up, even as they finally stood on solid ground in the bustling city.

"This place is even bigger than I remember!" Lucy said, amazed as examined all of the buildings as she tried to zigzag her way across the crowds. Though she was conscious that one wrong move could separate her from her friends, there were so many interesting sights, sounds and smells to take in it was hard not to become instantly distracted.

Erza smiled, comforted by the crowds of people, "I suppose that this is a world that has far more survivors everywhere," she observed.

"So why the hell am I still not remembering anything?" Natsu grumbled loudly.

Lucy looked at him with pity, knowing that it was still an impossible question to answer though it was clearly one of the most important ones. She had been thinking long and hard about Natsu's fate but because she had next to no information about his days before Fairy Tail other than the fact he was raised by a dragon, it was incredibly difficult to pinpoint exactly where things could have changed. When she asked Natsu for more information or clues even he had seemed to struggle to pinpoint anything concrete about his past. Igneel had raised him caringly but he had spent very little time with other humans as a child and it was increasingly obvious that while with the dragon he had never been under threat. Once in the final carriage to Crocus, Lucy had called Levy and asked if she'd had any update on either the Eclipse Gate or Natsu, but Levy had admitted that she could find no records of either, though she would keep trying. Lucy had even summoned Crux, asking the giant celestial cross to give her any information of Natsu and the time jump, but the spirit had simply slept through his impossible thought process. As impossible as it seemed Lucy could only assume that in this world Natsu simply hadn't been created in the first place, but saying this out loud would only make him feel worse.

Her thought process broke as she realised that the requip wizard was standing still now, staring upwards. "That's strange…" Erza thought out loud suddenly as she stared at the giant floating lacrima which showed the current scoreboard of the Grand Magical Games. The images hadn't changed since they had first come into the main city, obviously repairing the arena after the devastation of the last battle and simply reminding everyone of the scores accumulated so far.

"What is, Erza?" Lucy asked her, knowing that sometimes Erza could be incredibly observant.

Erza continued to look at the scoreboard, her finger on her chin. "Fairy Tail isn't in the Grand Magical Games. I had thought with all of the fuss everyone made in the guild about Pixie Wing attacking during the tournament it would mean we were competing. After all, there were also many faces I didn't see in the guild, and I had assumed they were here, in the Games. However, look who is currently third place," she said, pointing upwards.

Natsu, finally seeing more than just symbols and numbers, drew in a deep breath. "Pixie Wing? But how are they playing in the Games? They attacked us!"

Erza frowned deeply, not wanting to draw the conclusion that was being thrown towards her. Her memories were slotting into place uncomfortably. Pixie Wing was in the games and that had, if it followed the same rules as their own world, proved them as an official guild. They had attacked Fairy Tail and while inter-guild conflicts were not impossible it was almost always against a….

"Fairy Tail!"

The sudden sound of clattering metal broke Erza from her thoughts, looking down and seeing that several of the National Army's Mercenaries had gathered around them, each carrying large weaponry. The first man's shouts had brought even more and within seconds they were surrounded by men and women of varying degrees of confidence. Some of them visibly shook at the vision of the strong Wizards in front of them, while others seemed ready for a battle, inspired by The Grand Magical Games and eager to put their own name in flashing lights. Between the strong and weak militants, they had formed an even wall around them, sharp blades pointed straight towards them from every direction. Erza's keen eyes began instantly assessing them, trying to pinpoint a possible gap which she could break through, ready to form her attack if needed. She was reluctant to change into her stronger armour just yet, especially when she knew she could requip so quickly, but the casual breastplate was obviously enough to intimidate her enemy already. "What is the meaning of this?" she announced, positioning her hand to be able to take a blade from her alternative realm.

As if from a dream, a voice swept through the streets, "Don't play dumb with us, Fairy Tail." The slender figure stood tall, comfortably calm with every slow step forwards, metallic armour clinking gently with every movement. Even before they could see the blue hair and twisted red mark across his eye, they could feel the powerful aura washing over the weaker soldiers. Jellal had a confident smirk across his face, his eyes gleaming eagerly as he seemed to relish in the justice he believed he was giving. It was a horrifying cross between the man that had ruled the Tower of Heaven and the kind heart that had tried to protect his new guild. "Is your memory really so poor?" Jellal asked. He had the confidence of a man who believed he was doing to work of a divine justice and the cruel expression in his eyes that threatened he would do anything in his power to achieve his goals, no matter the cost.

Natsu glanced back to Erza, checking her reaction carefully and knowing that she had to be prepared to fight against him if needed. Though it was almost invisible to the naked eye, he could feel a tiny shiver coming from the fierce woman.

Erza's heart began to pound in her chest as she looked into the blue haired man's eyes. Even if she wanted to pull on her requip Magic, she wasn't sure that she had the heart to draw a weapon against him, especially only days since their lips almost touched. Desperately she tried to push that memory out of her mind, tried to calm the harsh beating in her chest. She tightened her jaw, determined that he would not make her weak. Never again would she allow herself to be at his mercy. "What do you want, Jellal?" she asked him, her voice grating.

He tilted his head up, looking amused at her defiance and more than a little impressed that she had remembered his name, even if her memory seemed poor in other ways. "So you really have forgotten your banishment, Fairy?" he asked her, eyes gleaming. "As it turns out, I have not. It was only last year that your guild attacked the Grand Magical Games, wasn't it?"

Natsu took a staggering step backwards. "Fairy Tail wouldn't do something like that!" he yelled out.

Jellal's eyes crossed onto the pink-haired boy, even less recognition in his expression. "You must be new," he said eventually, deciding that he did not remembered him from any of his studies. "I don't remember you causing trouble," he said, almost disappointed that he would not be able to target this one so harshly.

"He is new," Erza said quickly, knowing that Natsu would never admit to the rules of this world, even if it was to save his own skin. "He isn't a part of Fairy Tail yet. If you have a problem with our guild you'll just have to deal with me," she said, gripping her fists tightly and desperately trying to think of a way to also save Lucy and Happy from whatever this intervention was.

The National Army veteran thought of this for a moment, a dark frown on his face. Jellal didn't like to be told that he couldn't take something and he definitely didn't like the idea that evil was slipping through his fingers. From the very day that he had been placed into the Army he had been determined to eradicate all evil from the world. He recalled his old teachings with a little disappointment, knowing that it was theoretically better to remove the temptation before it had even begun. "You would do yourself a favour by staying away from these lot, then," he advised the pink-haired boy with a roll of his eyes. He had been on the field during the last Grand Magical Games, he had seen the carnage that Fairy Tail had left in their wake. The last thing he wanted was for the Fairy Tail army to grow stronger than his own. "You were warned last year, Fairy. If you step foot in Crocus during the Grand Magical Games we will not hold back in seizing you. If you are the one I am passing that judgement onto, so be it," he announced, his hand pointed to the sky as dark clouds began to form, readying his crackling heavenly magic. A smirk crossed his face. "I remember you were there, you heard me. Erza, is it? I remember the colour of your hair vividly."

Erza couldn't stop herself from reacting to the sudden reminder of her own Jellal. This man barely recognised her and she wasn't even certain if they had spoken before now but he was undeniably the same man that had seen the colour of her hair and named her Erza Scarlet. While this world had shaped Erza into being weak and caring, Jellal was hardened and confident. There was a twisted sadistic joy in his eyes but there was also a righteousness, and while she had seen both before she had not expected to see them at once. "If that is your will…" she said, lowering her hands and slowly stepping forwards, surrendering. "I have no need to fight you. Just ensure that my friends are safe. They played no part in the incident last year."

"Ezra what are you talking about?!" Natsu screamed out, barely able to hold himself back from hitting the blue haired officer. It wouldn't be the first time he had struck out at him to protect his friends. "I am a part of Fairy Tail! You can't just let them take you!"

Erza's eyes softened as she looked back at Natsu, already comfortable in her defeat. "There are too many of them and too many citizens. We can't risk fighting here," she reminded him, knowing that the public safety not only meant a lot to her but would clearly mean the world to these peacekeepers. With this knowledge, new memories filled her mind and she knew with a horrifying certainty Fairy Tail was dark, and had always been dark. She saw images Fairy Tail charging through the town, the terrified redhead watching as the S-Class wizards exploded through the streets with threats and hostility, destroying lives and livelihoods with every step. She remembered doing nothing, powerless to stop them and knowing that these wizards were supposedly making her guild proud. She hadn't felt pride that day, she had felt shame but she had still been terrified of leaving the nakama she loved. To this Erza, Fairy Tail may not have been a place of love and joy, not every day, but it had been her home.

Natsu gritted his teeth, wanting desperately to hit something in his frustration. "You can't just let them take you, Erza!" he screamed.

A sneer crossed the blue-haired warden's expression as he looked back at the redhead, revelling in his unexpected victory. "How very generous of you," he said, genuinely in admiration of Erza as he stepped forwards and placed his hands over hers. He tried not to notice the way she flinched at his skin brush against hers, placing the magic holding handcuffs. Once she had been secured, he looked over her shoulder, nodding to his other comrades.

The soldiers nodded back, taking a hold of Lucy from behind. Lucy gasped and cried out suddenly, trying to free herself from the unexpected restraints. "Lucy!" Natsu cried out, rushing over and grabbing the nearest soldier, trying to pull him off her.

"Natsu don't!" Lucy cried out suddenly, though it pained her to do so. She was trembling in fear, with no idea who these people were or what problem they had with her, but she too was getting flashes of memories. She remembered looking with wide eyed at the carnage of the festivals, remembered Jellal's fury as he announced that all Fairy Tail would be banished from Crocus. She remembered feeling shame in her guild on that day, remembered the fear for just owning the brand on the back of her hand. "Erza is right. You're…. In this world, you aren't a part of Fairy Tail…" she hesitated, knowing that the words would be incredibly painful for Natsu to hear. "You don't have to get caught in this. As long as I'm with Erza, I'll be safe," she assured him, knowing that she was terrified but she gladly placed all of her trust in Erza.

Natsu wasn't ready to accept that. He also couldn't bring himself to blast his way through them all when there were so many witnesses ready to get in the way of one of his fire roars. Though he would have no issue in attacking those who had threatened and hurt his friends, he could never touch the innocent bystanders. Before he could make a choice, however, Happy had placed himself on his back. The Exceed had felt both offended and lucky that he had once again been ignored, but it meant that he had been able to easily slip himself securely to the dragon slayer and begin to raise him from the ground. "Happy, what are you doing?!" Natsu demanded, but Happy was determined to just fly as fast as his beautiful white wings would take him.

Erza smiled up to the small exceed, knowing that he too had known that this kind of conflict was not the way to deal with this world. Natsu didn't understand the power of the National Army yet and she suspected even if he did he would do everything in his power to fight back. She knew this wouldn't be the end of it and she also knew he would no doubt be already planning their escape. Depending on how the rest of the day would go, it may be necessary. "Thank you, Happy. Natsu, stay safe," she told him, ignoring the angry flames he was spewing from his mouth and fists, hoping he would at least have the common sense to hide his guild-mark from now on.

"Aye!" said the little blue cat obediently, flying above the houses and taking his partner to safety.

* * *

 **JELLAL! :3**

 **Natsu is getting more and more angry. He is going to end up breaking something very very soon, I assure you.**

 **Thanks for all the continued support :3 reviews are always LOVED! (seriously, how do I have more followers than reviews? what gives?)**


	10. Chapter 9 Reveal

The Pixie Wing guild was lively and loud throughout the night. From the day's games Pixie Wing had successfully secured itself into third place, with only a five-point difference between the leading team and theirs and only one day left to climb to the top. They were confident that now they had their full strength together the final tournament the next day would be an easy win. Though Lamia Scale had Jura, he was barely a mark against Guildart's power - if only they could convince the wanderer to make an appearance. Even without his sheer destructive power they had the sky dragon slayer, the ice power couple, a huge takeover Mage, and even Juvia, Cana, Lisanna, Lyon and Mest were strong enough to make their guild proud if they could secure their own place. Even Sabretooth wouldn't stand a chance against them. Last year the guild with the twin dragon slayers had stolen their win, though that was mostly due to the interruption from their rival guild. Although they had been guaranteed by the National Army a no-tolerance attitude would be taken with the dark guilds, it still left a bitter taste that they had lost the previous victory and Sabretooth would be even stronger again this year, which was clear as they currently boasted first place. Anything short of total victory would be a disaster.

They had begun to talk about tactics, spreading around ideas around excitedly. Gray listened intently, glad that the attention had been finally pulled away from the attack against Fairy Tail leaving him once again able to enjoy the ambiance of the guild. Even though it wasn't Fairy Tail there were enough familiar faces around him to make him feel at ease and slowly the feeling began to grow that he was finally at home, especially now his family were once more by his side. He knew that these weren't only his emotions, as the feelings also belonged to the Gray that had lived in this world. The more he let the memories take over him the more he realised the giant holes in his own life, the way that happiness had always been fleeting and suppressed with guilt, grief or remorse. Though he felt those emotions now, the gunslingers fate still weighing heavily on his soul, he knew the regret and anguish still paled in comparison to a childhood driven by suffering. There was a warmth inside of him growing in this world and he became certain that, if he wanted to, he could pull on the strangely different magical energy that burned with a comforting heat instead of the numbing cold. He found himself smiling easily, more easily than he ever had. The fire maker Gray seemed to feel emotions far stronger than the ice maker could ever hope to.

Lyon stood from his chair to go to the other companions and Gray found himself looking at a familiar water Mage. It struck him suddenly that in the entire time she had been there, she had barely even tried to make eye contact or come towards him. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond to the sudden lack of interest, but it made him curious. "Are you not fighting tomorrow?" he asked her, trying to piece together some kind of conversation with his old friend.

Juvia looked surprised that he had tried to speak to her. She blushed suddenly, not certain of how to reply. Like many of the guild, though she had been learning quickly to tolerate the ice mage's son, the man was simply a stranger to her and she wasn't sure if he deserved a warming welcome. "Juvia isn't really strong enough to fight…" she said, looking down at her hands as she twisted them together. "Juvia tried on the first day and only got one point. And then Juvia fought in the fourth day, but she was kicked out of the water arena…" she said, thoroughly ashamed that she had been bested in her own element.

Gray smiled, comforted to hear that there had been at least some similarities even through their weakest moments. "That was the same as my timeline," he explained, remembering how well she had actually managed in the water pit before she was eventually pushed out. Though it had already been explained to Pixie Wing how his memories had been distorted he could see by her expression that she, along with most of the guild, were still struggling to believe him. His silence had done little to convince them. "And the first day you still got one more point than me," he shrugged, more than a little bitter about his earliest defeat.

Juvia's eyes went wide as she moved closer to him, looking at Gray a completely different way now. "You were in the Grand Magical Games? In Fairy Tail?" she asked him hesitantly, not sure how that could possibly be.

He actually found himself liking her attention, he decided, realising that Juvia was not so intimidating when she was not obsessing over him. He had on occasion enjoyed their conversations together, but it had been so rare not to be interrupted by her wild fascinations he usually found it easier to avoid them altogether. "We were," he nodded to her, as he quickly realised that he was gathering more listeners than just the blue haired woman. "Fairy Tail should have been in the Grand Magical Games. It was never dark, it was never supposed to be dark…" he sighed, feeling disheartened by thinking of his own guild in such a bad light. Fairy Tail had been his world, his home, his life, containing everything he loved. The thought of it being ripped away hurt no matter what he was receiving in return. "Most of the people here were a part of Fairy Tail too and it was a really great guild. We won, by the way. The Grand Magical Games."

Macao, overhearing, leaned over quickly as his drink sloshed in his hands. "If you won then you should tell us how!" he exclaimed, more animated and excited than most. He had spoken to Gray far more kindly than most of the rest of the guild, but Gray knew this was because he had worked closely with him on the plan to take down Fairy Tail and he had earned his trust. The master couldn't order his guild to simply trust him, but he knew that he had to make an example of how to act around him. "We're all talking tactics but you have one that actually works! Tell us!"

Gray leaned back, thinking carefully. It had only been a few short days ago but with the two incredibly different sets of memories merging together he found himself struggling to remember clearly. "We stood at the centre, and we just waited with our eyes closed. No one dared come near us all or tried to go out of their way to find us while there were so many others to fight. We waited for the smaller, weaker enemies to all pick each other off and leave us with the full force to take out the Captains. We finished without losing a single member. It was Erza, Juvia, Laxus, Gajeel and me…" he remembered, though he also remembered that it hadn't necessarily been the most ideal team. Or rather, it was not the one that he was so used to working with, the one that synchronised perfectly from months and years of practise and trust. It actually hurt to think of them, as the idea began to sink in that if he was in opposing guilds to his comrades then those days may be at an end. Unless he could convince them all to leave Fairy Tail they would be no doubt walking different paths now, but Natsu alone would refuse to abandon the idea of his guild no matter how much it changed. Gray couldn't even bring himself to joke about a guild without Natsu, no matter how much he despised his company at times.

Juvia blinked, barely able to believe. "Juvia?" she asked, feeling like she was far too weak to have been beside such strong members of Fairy Tail.

Macao just laughed. "That sounds like an interesting tactic!" he admitted, not sure if he had ever heard anything like that in the history of the Grand Magical Games.

Gray thought about it and decided that he agreed. "We didn't think it would work at first," he said as he picked up his drink. "But we had Mavis to come up with the plan, and she is an amazing tactician."

The whole inn plummeted into a sudden heavy silence. No one spoke, no one even picked up their drinks as they stared at Gray. Even those who had not heard the rest of the conversation had picked up on the simple word. "Mavis?" Lyon whispered as he stepped forwards slowly, looking into his childhood friend's eyes and desperately searching for some hint of a joke. It wasn't even just Pixie Wing that trembled, as the bar staff stepped back, as if the name would summon a dark curse upon anyone who uttered it. Gray could only look around in confusion, though the cold fear of the word was now even spreading into himself. He couldn't put a finger on why the name echoed silently through their hearts, but half-remembered memories told him that it had been foolish to even breathe the name.

The door blew open wide, the loud bang violently breaking the silence. The fire dragon slayer stood against the darkness, his teeth gritted and his fists tensed. The heat emanating from him was intense even through the warming pub, slicing through the crisp fear uneasily. Happy was perched on Natsu's back but it was clear that the look of fierce determination on the Salamander's face even worried the exceed. Even as Gray was thankful to see his old friend despite his obvious anger, the inn was still clearly too shaken from the mention of the first master to even process the pink haired man. Barely a whisper broke out, until he stepped through into the light.

As he walked through, it became clear that he had not had the sense to cover his Fairy Tail mark. Suddenly, wizards began to rise from their seats, glaring in a new anger at the newcomer, cursing hissing from their lips. It seemed that the dragon slayer was the curse that they had dreaded, summoned by the name of his guild's founder. Natsu paid little attention to their hostility. He had his own anger, the same anger that flowed through his veins and he had to do everything in his power to not strike against the enemy guild. He kept his eyes firmly on the dark-haired traitor.

Gray stood to Natsu, feeling a wave of heat from him. Though he had no idea why Natsu was here, he too was already cursing him under his breath. All happiness he had felt seeing his old friend had quickly disappeared with the simple red mark across Natsu's arm. It was already proving to be a challenge claiming he was loyal to Pixie Wing and now the stranger with a Fairy Tail mark was marching straight towards him.

"We need to save Erza and Lucy," Natsu said, clear enough for the entire guild to hear the unexpected moral choice.

The ice mage's eyes grew a little wider, not sure how he was supposed to react. He could feel his old self and his new self battling inside of him, torn by the urge to tell Fairy Tail to take care of their own trouble but also knowing that he had given too much to his old friends to turn his back on them now. Whatever the decision, he couldn't make it with his entire guild looking at him hopefully. He gritted his teeth, "A word. Outside." is all he managed to utter as he gripped his fists tightly, feeling them go unusually warm. He walked past Natsu, hitting his shoulder intentionally as he made his way to the door, a deep frown on his face as the questions scattered through his mind.

Natsu felt enraged that there would even be a hesitation. He had expected his friend to jump at the chance to save _anyone,_ never mind their closest friends, but the behaviour from Gray had been less than predictable the last few days. He had frozen into silence, fought against his guild to protect the iced couple, ran from Fairy Tail and stolen Asuka from her home. While Natsu wanted to defend his nakama, he found it difficult to even know what was going through Gray's head right now and the distance between them had not helped.

Pixie Wing had clearly been important to Gray, but before now Natsu hadn't been able to see a single reason why. He glanced around the guild, seeing the same blank expressions as he had seen in Fairy Tail but as he did he felt himself breath in sharply. So many familiar faces looked back at him, people he had never expected to see: Wendy, Lisanna, Elfman, Guildarts, Cana, Juvia, even Max and Nab were here showing the mysterious guild support. Before Natsu could even begin to wonder why, Gray forcibly grabbed Natsu's shoulder and dragged him out. The Fairy Tail member would only make them more uncomfortable.

Throwing Natsu back into the street, Gray put his hands deep into his pockets, looking at his old friend in despair. While there was no logical reason to think of the dragon slayer any differently, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a chance their rivalry was going to reach new heights. He reminded himself that it wasn't out of loyalty to Natsu that he was standing here, but out of his concern for his other friends. "What happened to Erza and Lucy?" he asked, his voice with the familiar cold edge as he spoke back to Natsu and Happy.

"The National Army arrested them!" Happy told him, not even sure if Natsu even knew what had happened earlier.

Natsu gritted his teeth, gripping his flaming fists tightly. "We've got to break them out!" he exclaimed.

Gray sighed, remembering the warning about his own Fairy Tail mark that Lyon had given him when first stepping into the city. It was clear that Lucy and Erza hadn't been so lucky. "I'm not surprised. It's the law, Natsu," he reminded him, though he wasn't exactly sure why he was explaining to Natsu when he would so clearly either not understand or choose to believe otherwise. "Fairy Tail members are banished from Crocus during the Grand Magical Games," he said, as if it were obvious.

"But that doesn't make any sense!" Natsu shouted out loudly, his voice echoing through the half-empty streets. "Erza and Lucy haven't done anything wrong!"

"Haven't done anything wrong?" Gray looked at him in disbelief. "Natsu, they're a part of a dark guild, you can't say that they're completely innocent," he snapped, his eyes flicking fiercely.

Natsu took a step back, looking at his friend and realising that he had changed more than any few short days could have. His eyes gleamed in a different light, his expressions seemed strangely different and even his voice seemed to carry a tone that he had never heard before. There were hints of the cold and calculating ice maker's inflections but the more that they spoke the more obvious it became that it these mannerisms were fleeting. The words themselves certainly didn't sound like anything that Gray would have said, not about his closest friends. "Gray what the fuck are you talking about?" he half breathed, too shocked to even get angry. "This is Erza and Lucy we're talking about. This is Fairy Tail. Our Fairy Tail."

Gray looked away, a flicker of his old self coming back into his eyes at the reminder, though he tried to stay with the strange confidence of the fire maker. Life had been so much better for the man of this world and it was so tempting to slip into the shoes that he had left behind. However, even with this new personality, it didn't mean that Gray didn't feel the same way as he thought of Erza and Lucy. His heart ached thinking that his old friends may be in trouble, whether they be the meek redhead barmaid and bouncy blonde, or the terrifying scarlet beauty and Natsu's dearest friend. "I know, Natsu," he hissed reluctantly. "I know that Erza and Lucy wouldn't hurt anyone. But this world doesn't have the same rules that ours does. And that isn't _our_ Fairy Tail," he glanced back at Natsu, looking into his eyes and knowing that the dragon slayer would find it impossible to understand this unless he drilled the words straight into him. "You saw Pixie Wing, Natsu. In this world, that guild is closer to Fairy Tail than Fairy Tail is. I know that it's hard to believe but inside this inn is where the good guys are, and if you stick with Fairy Tail you're with the bad guys."

Natsu refused to believe it. Though the truth had been running around his head for hours, he could not bring himself to believe that Fairy Tail could be a dark guild. So many of his friends were there, his entire life since Igneel had left had been in those four walls and he refused to give up on it so easily. He also refused to give up on his friend, knowing that the Gray he knew would have never lost hope in Fairy Tail and his friends so eagerly. "Where the hell have you been, Gray?" he hissed, knowing that arguing over the guild was impossible and that it wasn't the only place where his anger truly lay. "I've been searching for you and this fucking guild for days. You just disappeared."

Gray flinched, realising that it was true. He hadn't meant to worry his friends and though he had always meant to take a journey to find his parents he hadn't expected to be taken away so suddenly. A frown crossed his face, telling himself it had been necessary. "We needed to protect Asuka," he told his friend.

"You really think we would have hurt her?" Natsu asked, surprised and disappointed. "Fairy Tail is her home, Gray."

"Fairy Tail killed her parents, Natsu!" Gray shouted, now feeling the flame of his new self growing. While a cold blast of air would have usually surrounded him now, he could feel a warmth as the air heated dangerously quickly over him, anger powering his words. He had all rights to be angry, the first time he had been able to truly experience anything but crippling guilt. "Will you open your eyes?! Alzack and Bisca are dead because of Fairy Tail! They wanted to leave because they wanted to protect Asuka, and when Fairy Tail found out they killed them! I was speaking to them hours before they died, Natsu, all they wanted was for Asuka to be out that damned place and you really want to drag her back? Go ahead, be my guest, but every single wizard in that inn would rather die than see you take her back to that hellhole," he gritted his teeth, pointing back to the inn doors and the bright light that was coming from inside.

Natsu's eyes went wide, the final pieces slotting into place. He wanted to deny it, he wanted to scream that Gray had been mistaken, but deep down he knew that it was undeniable now. He had always known that this Fairy Tail was not the one he had loved, but how cruel it had become stung him badly. It also stung him to see the ice Mage with a fiery power behind him, feeling like it was one more thing that was slipping away. He looked away, slowly admitting defeat, though he would not so easily give up what he had come here for. "Lucy and Erza…"

"That's Fairy Tail's problem now," Gray said darkly.

Natsu couldn't hold himself back. The entire day he had been trying to hold himself back. Against the horrific mockery of his friend and rival, he could do nothing to stop himself from striking a flaming fist straight towards him. He cried out in anger, practically flying through the air in his sheer power.

Gray's eyes narrowed ready for the familiar battle against his friend, calling on his instincts to pull out a shield. To his dismay a shield appeared, but made of flames. His eyes went wide just in time for Natsu to burst through his barrier completely unharmed, punching Gray straight across his face. Gray went flying back with considerable speed, crashing straight into the nearby fountain and smashing the stone to pieces. He grunted in pain, realising that this was more than the average bare fisted punch from his casual enemy. Natsu had true pain and anger in his eyes and he was ready to inflict these upon his enemy.

Seeing the flames come from the ex-ice Mage had only made him breath more heavily and angrier, soaking in his enemy's fire and using them to power through his emotions. Natsu stepped forwards, flames glistening from his feet and hissing against the pools of water from the broken fountain. "This world isn't real, Gray," he said, knowing the words would inflict more wounds than any of his punches. It wasn't usually his style to fight with such painful yet cowardly tactics, but he knew that he also had to convince Gray to protect their friends. "And maybe that's a good thing."

Gray pulled himself up, wobbling as he did so. He knew he had an extreme disadvantage while his magic kept automatically flipping between flames and ice and he would need to concentrate on the cold magic now more than ever. "What the fuck are you talking about?" he hissed, pulling his hands together and straining to bring cold air back.

"We still have a choice," Natsu said, suddenly jumping back as an ice geyser appeared under his feet, Happy jumping up and flapping his wings fiercely to protect them both from the sudden attack. "We can choose between this world or ours."

Gray could feel his heart stopping for a second. He had felt joy, _true joy_ , in this world. Though it would be a lie to say that he had never felt happy in his old world, there had always been a pain in his heart that had held him back from every good day of his life. In this world he had his parents and Ur. He had happy memories of a childhood home. "You would take thousands of lives because you don't like the way this guild works?" he asked, genuinely horrified. Natsu pushed his flaming fists forwards, and in his shock Gray stumbled backwards and switched back to his flame magic, using his mother's skills and creating fiery wings to bounce out of the way and level the playing field against the flying duo. "You would be killing my mother, my father, Ur!" he raged, his eyes wide as his anger fuelled his fiery wings and frozen hands.

"What about Natsu?!" Happy shouted over the charging magic.

Gray paused, lowering his hands for the briefest of moments. "What do you mean?"

Happy's wings pushed as hard as they could, feeling the weight of the shuffling dragon slayer as he spoke quickly. "Natsu isn't a part of this world! He doesn't have any memories or anything! If we don't change the world back, something really bad could happen to him!" he said, and though he wasn't sure of the fate of his friend he knew that Natsu's life was not worth risking for anything.

Gray looked at them both, his heart racing in his chest. He tried to judge the truth to the words, but Natsu's silence said it all; Natsu wasn't going to try to argue for his own life and Gray knew all too well the moral decision that lay on his shoulders, only made worse by Gray's screaming accusations. They may not have known what would happen to the dragon slayer but Gray had already seen a world without his parents, a world he was reluctant to return to. "I'm sorry, Happy, Natsu…" he said, unwilling to say the words. "They're my parents…"

Natsu urged Happy back to the ground, his feet touching the earth as he felt Gray's ice magic melting away into nothing. He couldn't deny that he was deeply hurt by what Gray had said, but that didn't mean that he didn't understand it. He had spent years searching for his dragon father, had spent almost every day of his life desperately seeking answers behind the disappearance of the dragons. He couldn't even begin to fathom a choice between his father and his nakama. Natsu simply didn't want anyone hurt and could see no matter which version of Gray was standing in front of him, he and his rival once again had the same goal, but as always they were aiming in different directions. As Gray's feet also hit the floor and his flaming wings disappeared into smoke, Natsu spoke. "So we need to fight for it," he announced. "If we don't get to the Eclipse Gate by the time it activates, then we'll never have actually destroyed Zeref and the world will flip back."

The air turned suddenly colder. Gray's heart trembled, his resolve suddenly determining but flooding him with new fears. In a moment he could feel the crushing defeat of Deliora's wrath slipping through his reality, threatening to drag him from his new memories.

Suddenly there were voices across the street, looking at the destruction of the fountain, lingering flames and ice dashed across the cobblestones. "What's that?" "Is that Fairy Tail?" "They're doing it again?!" "National Army!"

Gray hissed a curse under his breath, looking around himself. The fountain that he had crashed into was in pieces, the water lacrima spurting water all over the street. Black burn marks ripped through the stone and rooftops, the occasional blade of ice cracking the pavement beneath their feet. It was exactly the kind of destruction that Fairy Tail were notorious for. "We need to get out of here," he announced to Natsu, realising that they would be both in real danger if they waited for the National Army to appear. If Erza had been captured so easily they would have no chance and fighting in the streets would do little to help them escape.

In an instant, he brought the flaming wings back to life and bouncing back into the air, Happy following him gladly with Natsu in tow. The chants and clanking of weapons and armour were quickly approaching. Luckily most of the formidable army slept in the early hours of the morning, though the pair hadn't exactly been quiet in their fight. Even if not for the Fairy Tail guild mark across Natsu's arm, they would have faced some difficulty. If they hadn't been targets before, they certainly were now. Gray wore a frown on his face. "You did that on purpose," he commented.

A victorious smile was crossing Natsu's face as the three of them disappeared into the clouds, staying as far from the National Army's attacks as possible and hopefully disappearing from sight before they could be recognised. The dragon slayer couldn't deny that he was incredibly impressed with the wings of fire, wondering absently if there was any way to twist his dragon slayer power into a similar way. Although it would only be for when Happy wasn't available, he didn't want to offend the exceed and make him feel as if his skills were not needed, and quickly dismissed the idea. "Is it really so unbelievable that I would just punch you and destroy things for no reason?" he asked innocently.

Gray let out a heavy, annoyed sigh. "No, not at all," he said. He smirked slightly, not wanting to admit that he was feeling a little more comfortable back in the dragon slayer's company, though he still wasn't convinced that there hadn't been at least part of a plan to trap Gray into becoming an enemy of the National Army. It was dangerous for him to be in Crocus regardless but now Natsu had pinned a target on him he would have no choice but to be the criminal that they saw him as. At least now protecting his fellow criminals would do little to affect his reputation with either Pixie Wing or the National Army and he was secretly a little glad of the opportunity to save Erza and Lucy.

"I'm gonna make Fairy Tail a better place again, Gray," Natsu promised, suddenly determined. "If we stay in this world, I swear I'm going to bring Fairy Tail back to what it was. I'm going to make this world just as good as ours, you'll see."

Gray looked at him, not wanting to point out that it all depended on him still being alive once the spell finalized and he was thrust fully into a world which had rejected him. Gray could feel sadness and true fear at the thought and didn't want to admit it made him more conflicted than he could have imagined. It should have been the easiest of choices, he was so quickly able to say it out loud, a simple calculation of one life verses a thousand. It was a choice he didn't want to make, not ever. "Tell me where Erza and Lucy are," he said, knowing either way they had to move forwards to the Eclipse Gate, with less than twenty-four hours to go.

* * *

Only an hour or so later, the two men dropped back down to the ground in the heart of the National Army's main headquarters. Both looked around themselves cautiously, though a little confused how they hadn't already been shot out of the sky. They could hear the shouting and screams of the guards rushing around and yet no one had looked up towards them. Neither fire wielders dared push their luck by mentioning the good fortune, but pressed on carefully.

Gray leaned around the corner, staring out at the Warriors as they dashed back and forth, knowing that if he had trusted Natsu to scout ahead he probably would have just rushed into the biggest fight he thought he could handle. Gray too wanted to press forwards and take some revenge against the army that had taken his friends away, but he at least realised that they would do no good joining their friends in a cell. Just as they had both noticed while in the sky, however, the army paid no notice to them, gathering in a huge group just outside of the base. He gestured back to his friend to press forwards and Natsu stormed into the lead as he pushed through the doorways, Happy gladly flying behind him.

They stood, staring into the empty cell. "They were here," Natsu knew, staring at the burning Fairy Tail mark that hung in the air through the smashed wall. "Fairy Tail will never abandon their own," he smirked, feeling hope that no matter how twisted his dark guild had become, they would protect their nakama. Fairy Tail had broken Erza and Lucy free.

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 **WOW! I never realised just how long this bloody chapter is. But here it is! Because it wouldn't be Fairy Tail without a good Natsu vs Gray fight! :D Hope this all makes sense!**

 **Also, ugh Juvia. She follows me around in my writing, I swear she's like a plague.**

 **Reviews are always loved ;3**

 **Speaking of reviews - BlueFlaw came up with a great idea about the "Drayer" issues, and maybe Ivan being a good guy? Will have to think this idea through more! I believe there will be a sequel to this story so it could be in that :D I'm excited!**


	11. Chapter 10 Resolve

"I promise you, it won't move"

Natsu frowned, looking up at the airship cautiously. He was excited to see what was inside of it but knew that if the giant airship started unexpectedly he would be completely weakened by his crippling motion sickness. Gray stepped ahead of him, pulling down the ladders and opening the door. The Ice Maker knew that he couldn't have stayed with the rest of the guild. Even though now he was Pixie Wing in all but name he would never be able to stay within the city walls while still officially Fairy Tail. That had been clear even before Natsu had helped him to destroy half the city, now he knew there was even more desperation to stay out of the National Army's radar over the night. He pulled himself up into the main cabin, looking around and making certain that no one else was nearby before glancing back and making sure that Natsu had stepped inside.

Natsu looked around himself as he walked through, realising with horror that it was swaying gently under his feet. He didn't feel the normal sickness in the pit of his stomach, however, and Happy calmly pointed out "It's just like Christina!"

Natsu looked blankly at his friend for a moment before realising, "Hey, you're right!" Christina hadn't made him feel motion sickness either, whether it was to do with the flight or the fact that the ship operated more like a giant beast than a mode of transportation. He hadn't expected the same from this airship, however, knowing that it was far less animalistic. The joy of proving himself wrong was enough to make him beam in happiness, now eagerly rushing around and trying discover every nook and cranny in the airship.

"It's name is Arganon," Gray explained, lightly amused by his excitement. He had to admit, if he hadn't been so shocked he may have looked at the giant ship with a similar wide-eyed wonder. It was truly a masterpiece. "It was made by the same creator as Christina," he explained as he took off his jacket, glancing around the cabin with a little more familiarity. He had been on this boat for almost a day of traveling, but before that lay the memories of his father trying to teach him how to fly the huge creation before his mother quickly took a stand against his visitation. He didn't dare speak these recollections to Natsu, however, knowing that there was still a part of him that wore his history close to his chest.

Natsu opened the window and looked out, glancing across the side of the boat and watching the wind whip around the smooth silver sides and dancing the flags. The Pixie Wing symbol fluttered proudly against a blue background, and a thought crossed Natsu's mind, glancing back at Gray surprisingly seriously. "You do still have it, don't you?" he asked suddenly.

Gray tilted his head. "Have what?"

"Your Fairy Tail guild mark."

Gray frowned, but lifted his shirt and showed the dark blue symbol still taking pride of place across his chest. He knew that if he was to stay in this world, the day would eventually come for him to rid himself of the mark. It would be a painful day, especially with the glorious memories that he had of the guild from his own world. His eyes filled with sadness at just the thought, knowing that he would gladly give his life for each and every member of that guild and certain that they would have done the same for him. "For now," he said simply, trying to convince himself that it was the right thing to do, though a part of him had said as much because he suspected the reaction from his guild mate and knew that he actually wanted to be convinced otherwise.

Natsu didn't dare, however. He trusted Gray, trusted his judgement in Fairy Tail, trusted that he would have rather have lost his arm than his guild mark under normal circumstances. Natsu's resolve had been thoroughly shaken. He had been ignored, looking into his guild through a stranger's eyes and was both stunned and disgusted by the behaviour. It was nothing like the guild that he loved, that they all had loved. Up and down seemed the wrong way around in this world. "You said it yourself… Pixie Wing is more like Fairy Tail right now," he said under his breath, gripping his hands. "But I'm not giving up on it. It'll get better - I'll make it the Fairy Tail that we knew, Gray. Trust me, give me time and I'll do it. But it won't be Fairy Tail without the whole team."

Gray's eyes softened, realising that in a roundabout way Natsu was begging Gray not to go. He didn't for a moment suspect it was because of any particular loyalty to Gray himself, but that this would be his reaction to any member of Fairy Tail. In all of the years Gray had known Natsu he knew he didn't deal with abandonment well, which was really no surprise with his past. "I'll give you a chance to pull it together," he told him with a shrug. "I won't give up on Fairy Tail easily either, Natsu. It's my family too."

Natsu nodded, unable to show just how relieved he was to hear that. He jumped back down to the cabin, pulling himself onto one of the chairs finally. "Speaking of family, your mum is pretty pissed."

Gray gave a grim smile. "Yes, I got the message…" he said, remembering the flaming Fairy Tail symbol in the prison cell, knowing that it was not just a message to the National Army but one to all of Crocus and Pixie Wing. Gray took his own seat, a frown on his face that was familiarly dark as his old self. "Twelve years later and now I'm instantly a disappointment," he muttered under his breath, the thoughts that had been bugging him since he had been first taken onto the Arganon. He knew that if he hadn't gone with Pixie Wing, if he had stayed loyal to the mark on his chest, he would have only been a disappointment to his father and Ur instead.

Natsu had his own frown on his face, wondering how Igneel would look at him if he saw him now. He did everything in his power to be someone that his father could be proud of, with the full strength of a dragon, and knew with some confidence that Igneel would appreciate every step he had taken back. He couldn't imagine a scenario otherwise. "I guess we'll see them soon. Assuming that we stay in this world after tomorrow."

It was a larger statement than Natsu had ever intended. Not only did it depend on whether the decisions to make this world survive would be taken, but also on what would happen to Natsu afterwards. Gray wanted to say the same thing that Natsu had said to him, that Fairy Tail wouldn't be the same without him, that his life wouldn't be the same without him. He couldn't find the words, however, leaning back and closing his eyes. "We should get some rest. Erza and Lucy will be with Fairy Tail, but from what I've seen and… Remember… Fairy Tail will be making a bold statement, probably using the Grand Magical Games. We should try and get to the stadium for the games tomorrow."

* * *

Lucy pulled herself to her feet shakily, lifted up by the S-Class wizards that she was now looking at with some fear. Her memories of these people were so similar of those of her own world; a respect for their sheer power and knowing that she could never achieve something so awe inspiring and it shocked her to the core that she could think that way about murderers and criminals. It was these people who had broken them out of prison, however, and had left the message for the entire city to see. Fairy Tail had taken its place in Crocus and was not going down without a fight. Fairy Tail were fiercely protective and dominating over Crocus city, and that only worried her more.

"Don't worry," Laxus tried to reassure her. "Pixie Wing aren't getting away with this. You can count on us."

Lucy shook her head, her blond hair falling over her eyes. She wanted Pixie Wing to be able to get on with their own lives, to be able to go home to Magnolia and have the warming homecoming that she would have been expecting from her own world, from her own Fairy Tail. She had friends from both guilds, she had fought beside so many of them, her heart was with every one of the guild members of the true meaning of Fairy Tail. "Please…." tears rolled down her face at the thought of those she had loved who could be hurt. "Please… Don't…"

Erza was shaking, visibly shaking with anger and doing everything in her power not to lash out at the S-class mages that were all around her. Though she knew that she was just as strong, if not stronger, than many of the mages here she also knew that she could not survive fighting every one of them at once. There was also the niggling weakness in the back of her mind, the soft voice of Erza the barmaid that told her it was too risky. The weakness only made her want to fight more, she decided, hating herself for even doubting her own strength. It was only the small sense of self-preservation and the desire to protect Lucy that kept her hands by her sides. "You didn't have to hurt him…" she said through gritted teeth, clenching her fists so tightly she could feel the blood running through her fingernails.

"Oh, you mean the cute blue-haired jailer?" Mirajane leaned in close, obviously enjoying the torment that she could see on Erza's face and taking every remaining opportunity to make the requip wizard feel weaker. "No, you're right, we didn't. But we had so much _fun_ ," she grinned, tilting her head to the side and watching Erza once more have to hold herself back. "Besides, it's just an eye. It's not as if he didn't have a spare."

Simon's arms quickly held Erza back. While he had considerable strength, perhaps even more than Erza had remembered him possessing in the Tower of Heaven, it wasn't something physical that stopped her. His arms comforted her and she knew while she would have loved to trade an eye for an eye, she could not bring herself to harm the huge man standing in front of her in the process, not in any world. "It isn't worth it," Simon assured her, his words bringing new tears to her eyes.

It felt worth it, she thought, it felt like it was the only thing that made sense in this twisted world. She felt the burning desire for revenge, felt the weakness running through her veins and the eternal struggle to protect the ones that she loved. She felt trapped between her two bodies, her heart pounding for the blue-haired man they had so brutally attacked, her hands gripping Simon's arms and being easily held back. She had to look away from the jeering Mirajane, glaring back out to the city below.

"We won't fail," Mika assured them both, seeing only Erza's determined look as she too glanced back to the city, wind blowing back her raven coloured hair. "It ends tomorrow," she promised. "One way or another."

* * *

 **Well, this one is a little shorter at least haha!**

 **Thanks everyone for the reviews :) Love the feedback!**

 **An Anonymoose pointed out that in a World Without Zeref that the dragon slayers wouldn't be there, which... well, just bare that in mind guys. I realise that there may look like there are flaws, but they are intentional, honest ;) Still, I love to hear these theories!**

 **Also, people seem really interested to find out what'll happen with Natsu! I hope I don't disappoint...?**

 **Deboo; once again thanks for the reviews, you make me blush 3 I can't say much about Natsu, but all I'll say is that his fate has been hinted at ;)**


	12. Chapter 11 Reserve

**Two for one day today! Just a note I think that the earlier chapter today glitched and didn't show on the recently updated list? So you might have two to read at once!**

* * *

"Pixie Wing have done it, Kubo!"

The crowds cheered and cried out in joy, banners were raised and even the opposing teams stood back impressed by the truly magnificent guild. Silver, Ur, Wendy, Elfman and Cana stood in the centre of the city of Crocus, each with their hands in each other's, the perfect symbol of unity as every single one of them had managed to remain standing by the end of the Grand Magical Games. From the stands, Gray and Natsu could feel the energy that had resonated around them only a few short days earlier. Finally, they could feel what it was like to watch, to be a part of the crowd and the sense of pride and accomplishment inside of them from even just spectating. Though they couldn't deny that there had been the urge to drop down into the middle of the commotion, since it had only been a few short days since their own glorious victory both were content to let Pixie Wing take the victory without them.

"Pixie Wing is officially Fiore's strongest guild, kubo!"

"I wouldn't be so certain of that," the words chimed over the communication lacrima melodically, Mirajane's cackling laughter following her as the doors to the stadium burst open with a magnificent blue flame, spraying dust and debris over the sandy floor of the arena. From the twisted smoke dark figures stepped forwards and the eager crowd launched forwards to take a better look at the new attraction. Mira's laughter didn't end as she stepped forwards, her giant black wings and twisted blackened form barely differing from her own silhouette. The flames of Mika's shimmering wings bounced off her glossy form as the smoke parted, bringing light to her twisted smile.

Natsu and Gray both leaned forwards, the same thoughts on both of their minds. "That's not good!" Gray said with a strained voice.

"I've never seen that demon soul," Natsu said, leaning over to get a closer look, though it seemed that most people in the arena were doing the same thing, completely oblivious to just how much danger they were in.

Gray shook his head, not daring to take his eyes off the terrifying S-Class mage. "It's not a demon soul. Most demons come from The Books of Zeref. Mirajane's power in this world takes over things far worse than demons…" he said, shivering as the information continued to flood back to him, memories of the twisted dominatrix taking pleasure in her conquests. Takeover magic, particularly Mirajane's form, could be even more manipulative than maker magic and had obviously twisted her own soul into something unrecognisable, nothing like the kind hearted woman from their old world. "She takes over emotions. This is her Mania Soul"

"Mania Soul?" Natsu frowned. He had never heard of any magic like that before, but even he could understand that Zeref had twisted the very form of magic over the last four hundred years. If Zeref had created almost every devil and demon in existence, Natsu could understand that Mirajane's powers would have formed differently. Looking at her cruel laughter, he could also understand the name; there was something manic about the way her body almost doubled backwards, taking insane pleasure in knowing the damage that would be inflicted by the dark guild. Even from his seat he could feel the sheer power emanating from the growing crowd of Fairy Tail members. At first glance it seemed that Mika and Mira led the way, though on closer inspection it was clear to see the tiny master moving the troupe forwards, his face completely unreadable. "Old man…" Natsu whispered under his breath, wondering how someone as kind and gentle as Makarov could possibly be caught in such an evil creation. As he thought of this he could see even more familiar faces following, people that he had thought far more highly of than the twisted S-Class initiation. Laxus took the pride of place beside his fellow S-Class, Freed faithfully by his side and Gajeel now able to walk beside him as an equal. After what had happened to the gunslingers, it was incredibly difficult for Natsu to feel anything but hatred towards Gajeel and it was clear to see that in the Pixie Wing stands there were many preparing to target him specifically. Despite it all, however, Gajeel was nakama, they were all nakama.

The flame maker raised her arms. "Come along, Pixie Wing. Join the party!" Mika called out, playfully twisting the flaming Fairy Tail symbol in her hands. Now the crowds were starting to understand and panic was beginning to set in. Those closest to the doors were beginning to run out, remembering the carnage from the last Grand Magical Games all too clearly and knowing that the Fairy Tail reputation was based on devilish truth.

Macao gripped his fists tightly, knowing that this timing had been a dirty trick for Fairy Tail to play. Though they had been victorious, five of his strongest had just been through a gruelling battle and were still in the middle of Crocus. It would take some time for them to join the rest of them in the stadium. He knew he had to delay the upcoming battle as much as possible, but Mirajane's power was already beginning to creep into the back his thoughts. "What do you want, Makarov?!" he cried out, leaning over the side of the pits and gripping the edge until his knuckles turned white.

Makarov looked up at him briefly, appearing as if he was almost bored of the entire charade. In truth, he hadn't wanted any of this and was internally cursing Macao for calling him out. "We want the same as you, Macao," he said, brushing down his moustache. He, too, wanted to delay the inevitable battle for as long as he could, knowing that the longer they waited the more citizens could be taken to safety. "We want to find who is the strongest guild in Fiore. We've been two guilds for too long and our strength has halved. So I give you the same choice your brats gave mine; one last chance to join Fairy Tail before we obliterate you."

Macao took a staggered step back, completely thrown back by Makarov's words. He had seen the master's strength with his own eyes, knew that he alone could be enough to take out half of their guild, possibly even Guildarts would struggle against the saint wizard.

"We won't give up so easily!" Macao heard the words beside him, taking a few moments to realise they were not his own. Lisanna had stepped forwards, already twisted into the shape of a huge rabbit. "You'll pay for what you did to Alzack and Bisca!" she continued to cry out, preparing to jump down as Elfman jumped onto her back, twisting his own body into that of a ferocious beast.

Mirajane's cackled loudly, her eyes pinned on her siblings as dark energy glittering in her claws. "No one touches those two. You are my blood," she said, diving forwards and striking them with a hissing black ball of pure magic.

"Lisanna! Elfman!" Macao yelled over the side of the pits. All around them the audience was rushing around in a mad panic, trying to escape as they could see the games taking a dangerous turn. In the flurry Macao watched helplessly as more of his men and women jumped down into the stadium, using their comrades magic to brace their falls, each with the intent of revenge. He could feel Mirajane's magic twisting at his soul, trying to convince him to lose all of his senses and rush down with the rest of them. Mania was spreading. To the audience it had caused their panic to set in but to the Pixie Wing guild it had twisted their emotions into a tactless ballistic attack. "Dammit! Don't attack you fools!" he yelled out to his guild, but found his words landed on deaf ears. There had been too many years of sitting on the brink of destruction, lying in wait for the dark guild to attack them with all their force. Macao knew if they hadn't had Guildart's this day would have happened years ago, but even now as predicted the veteran destruction wizard stayed back, trying to gather his conscious thought before rushing into an attack with the rest of them.

Gray and Natsu jumped out of the crowds before they could be crushed. Already, looking down at the panic around them, they could see the injured civilians were mounting. Mirajane's magic was flooding through common sense, turning friend against friend in their urges to escape. With no side to truly fight for the friends nodded to each other, Natsu and Happy trying to pull away the main blockages of the crowds while Gray used his ice magic to create new stairways out of the arena. It didn't mean that they were immune to the effects of the Mania, however, and while Natsu tried to be patient in pulling the others to safety he could only do so much before losing his temper and blasting back into the sky, staring down at the arena and trying to look for his real objective; Lucy and Erza.

True to Makarov's teachings, only the S-Class wizards were making the attacks, but that did not mean that the rest of Fairy Tail was not also supporting. They knew that they did not have the strength to fight all of Pixie Wing and potentially the other guilds and National Army without the full support of their lower ranking teammates, which for the meantime also included Lucy and Erza. Not instantly visible, Natsu caught movement hidden behind a cloud of smoke in the darkened doorway. He had to look twice, not sure what he was seeing but pressing forwards with Happy gladly following his commands, diving between the opposing forces and standing in front of the wall of Fairy Tail members.

Each one of the non-S-Class members of Fairy Tail stood in the darkness, their eyes closed and hands each joined. Oblivious even to the battle waging just moments away from them, none of them seemed to notice the dragon slayer walking through the silent crowd. Their eyes stayed closed, their breathing shallow and soft, senses completely closed to the world and even the mania that Mirajane was unleashing upon the world had no effect upon the living statues. Natsu stepped forwards cautiously, waiting for them to suddenly open their eyes and lunge out at him. "Uh… Hello?" he asked, looking between each face and desperately trying to find his friends. He glanced at them all, confused and distressed as he saw so many of his friends completely still. Eventually he found one of his targets. He rushed forwards, his hands on the celestial wizard's shoulders as he shook her gently. "Lucy?" She didn't move, didn't seem to react to his words at all. "What the hell's going on with them!?" he asked desperately.

Happy jumped off Natsu's back, looking up at them and purring a long "hmmm…" as he stared up at them. "Ah, Natsu! Look!" He said gestured up to the rope that wrapped around each of their joined hands. "It's a Magical emotional bond. They're feeding into Mirajane's magic. Speaking of feeding, I'm really hungry…"

Even Natsu had to admit that it wasn't the time to be thinking about food, even if he was hungry himself. As Happy had described, a silver coil wrapped itself around the joined hands of the Fairy Tail members, glowing softly in the darkened doorway and humming gently and snaking out towards the back of the Takeover wizard. Natsu moved his hand towards it, flinching slightly as the rush of emotions surged through his skin. His heart began to run in his chest, a desperation in his thoughts but with nothing to latch onto. He gritted his teeth, the mania turning into determination to destroy, reaching down and yanking away the silver coil and letting his flames ignite it.

The celestial wizard suddenly gasped, her eyes flying open as she fell into Natsu's arms, blinking rapidly. Behind him he could hear Mirajane suddenly crying out in what sounded like pain, but he couldn't concentrate on her when she was an enemy and Lucy was in his arms. "Are you alright?" he asked her quickly, propping her up and already looking around for Erza. As he looked he could see the burning track of rope twisting around the members of Fairy Tail, hissing as it separated every member from their guild. It was clear that as he did so the members of Fairy Tail were starting to come back to their senses, some of them happier than others about the transition, some even desperately trying to reattach the remaining rope rather than face Mira's wrath for breaking her powerful absorption spell.

Lucy nodded quickly, though she was shaking. Tears were rushing down her face in full force. She wanted to laugh and scream and jump for joy all at once. The sudden rush of her emotions coming back to her felt like it would destroy her from the inside and she jumped forwards throwing her arms around the dragon slayer for comfort. "I'm fine…" she whispered eventually, glancing up and seeing Erza standing above them both. The redhead's eyes screamed in a pain her heart refused to take, ignored tears running down her face and a blade twisting its way back into her hands.

The true loser was Mirajane, however, as her anguished screams continued. Without her subjects to leach her powers from she was weaker and the mania rushing over the crowds had subsided. Even in her weakened form she was still a considerable threat, but the tables were undoubtedly turning. Pixie Wing was starting to hold back, focusing once more on their defence and able to form their attacks with more precision. Macao made his way down to the arena, gritting his teeth as they all awaited the next wave of S-Class attacks and directing his team. Now the emotional disturbances were dampened, Guildart's was beside him, still reluctant to place one of his deadly attacks but at least willing to enter the ring now he finally possessed a clear mind. Luck was finally starting to be on Pixie's side, and Fairy Tail knew it. While their S-Class wizards were some of the most powerful in all of Fiore they were confident in their victory, right up until the five victorious competitors of Pixie Wing emerged through the far doorway, bruised but far from broken.

A temporary stalemate fell on the two sides, both knowing that the next move could only end in disaster, no doubt for both sides. "You can pull away from this now, Makarov," Macao advised his counterpart, wishing for nothing more than for the older man to take the step back and protect his children.

Natsu helped to pull the rest of Fairy Tail out of the darkness, feeling that they were yet another piece to this battle. While they were all willing to do what it took to protect their guild, a feeling he knew only too well, he could feel from their energy that some of them had simply not wanted to be there. Many looked at Pixie Wing and saw comrades, their old friends, and though that certainly wasn't the case for all of them it filled Natsu with hope. This world had a chance, this world could rekindle the goodness which made Fairy Tail a home. Erza, Lucy, Happy and Gray all stood beside him, all shared the same heart, knowing that hope was the most powerful weapon that they had in this battle.

Makarov would have wanted nothing more than to turn away. It wasn't just his own guild that felt the need for this battle, however. He could feel the anger filling the air with tension from both Pixies and Fairies and though it pained him to admit it, even if he turned away now this day would eventually come. "We cannot," he told Macao, hoping that deep down he understood.

The tiny girl went completely unnoticed. Her bare footsteps were so soft even the dragon slayer had not heard them and had been completely oblivious to her presence until she pulled on his shirt, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at him with wide eyes. "I'm so sorry. How did it happen to you?" The small woman asked, glancing back at him with wide and oddly innocent eyes.

Natsu looked down, seeing the river of blond hair underneath him and wide pale eyes watching him curiously. "Mavis….?" he breathed, amazed that he had been able to feel her touch. There was a scent in the air, he realised, one that he hadn't been able to catch before while there were so many wizards rushing around, but now she was right in front of him he could sense it. The Sudden Death.

At just the name of the first master, panic spread through both Pixie Wing and Fairy Tail.

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 **Hey Fairy Tail fans!**

 **Blah I hate this chapter. So so so messy. I hope that it all makes sense and that you can at least enjoy it more than I enjoyed writing it!**


	13. Chapter 12 Rewind

Mavis was always a small girl and she had always grown slowly. As she stayed on Tenrou island, she lived a mostly peaceful life after the tragedy of her village, staying with her illusionary friend and living out her days in happiness. When Precht, Yuri and Warrod appeared on her island in search of treasure, the small girl was excited to feel the wind through her hair and the steady boat underneath her feet, ready take on the world and finally step into her life. She was a joyful girl, full of hope and wonder and despite all of her troubles she did all she could to help those around her.

When she found the town of Magnolia, her heart ached for the people under the hardships of the Blue Skull guild. She vowed that she would do whatever she could to liberate them but at the time had no idea what how she could possibly help. It took her weeks to break through her weakness, as all of her new friends begged for her to leave Magnolia behind, that this was too great for one small girl to take on. She refused, knowing that the answer was waiting to be revealed, though frustrated that there was simply no one able to show her the way. The magical power had been inside herself all along and she knew she just had to unleash it somehow.

In one terrifying moment, Fairy Law was created and Mavis Vermillion's body froze in time. She hung between life and death, the world instantly rejecting the sheer power that one small body could possess, having felt nothing quite like it before. She had no one to guide her through the new curse, no one to tell her what the darkness inside of her meant, no one to warn her of what Ankhesram curse truly meant.

As she realised the death followed her footsteps, she began to run. She learnt the hard way over a great many years that the more she cared for the life she took away, the more the darkness inside of her body grew. She was resigned to live out her life in silence, escaping anyone who may suffer from her very existence, but her reputation preceded her in the worst of ways. Everywhere she hid she could hear the whispers of 'The Sudden Death'. Try as she might, she could not stop her powers from growing with every passing year and it was soon clear to see that the minor disruptions were suddenly localised apocalypses, raging through entire villages and towns and destroying everything in their path. She tried to run out of Fiore, to the most remote places she could find, but even the cold could not freeze her lonely heart and eventually her footsteps always lead back to people, destroying entire civilisations from Isvan to Bosco in her wake. There seemed to be no place left for the lonely girl and she tried everything she could to be content in staying alone forever.

That was until she could feel another presence. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, in all of her 118 years of wandering the world and she found herself drawn to the feeling. As she looked into the sky she could see the sun cracking, not knowing if the omens were related but believing that the gods of death may have finally brought her a blessing. She could feel death with a heartbeat. She could feel life with no fate. There was someone here who could share her burden.

"I'm sorry. It's been many years since I've spoken to anyone. I'm supposed to say hello first. Hello," Mavis said, looking at Natsu with increasing curiosity as she tilted her head to the side, waiting for him to answer her question. He seemed to stunned to speak, so she repeated herself. "How did this happen to you?"

Both Fairy Tail and Pixie Wing went into a blind panic. Though most of them had not recognised the small girl, as few had lived to tell the tale after seeing her beautiful blond hair, everyone from Fiore to Seven knew the legend of Mavis Vermillion, the First Master of Fairy Tail. It hadn't actually been a true title, however, as Mavis had never been a master of Fairy Tail, the guild had simply been created in her honour after she disappeared into shadows, presumed dead for many years. The title of master of Fairy Tail had always been traditionally passed down from father to son, which is how the kind-hearted Makarov received the honour even as the guild fell from grace. Despite this inaccuracy, Mavis's reputation alone had darkened the very soul of the guild, bringing countless admirers and evil doers to their doors, and it was easier to absorb them within their strict rules than watch them tear apart their beloved guild. However, as they looked upon Mavis, no matter how devout they were, their hearts turned cold with fear. This was The Sudden Death, this was the bringer of darkness and destruction, the walking apocalypse. She was smaller than they had imagined but the magic emanating from her was incredible, and it took only seconds for many of the wizards to turn on their heels and run.

Natsu knew nothing of this, though he was more surprised as he looked at Mavis and the way that she had been able to tug on his shirt. She was alive. He presumed she was breathing but she was so deadly silent that even the dragon slayer had not picked up her footsteps. She met his eyes with a slightly unnerving seriousness. "How did what happen?" he asked her, remembering the question.

For those who had not ran in fear, there were others who had frozen to the spot, unable to bring themselves to move at all. These were mostly the unlucky few who had witnessed The Sudden Death first-hand, who had felt its cold breath and barely escaped with their lives. Lyon was one of these unfortunate few, staring with wide eyes and completely deaf to Ur's screams that they had to leave. He ignored her words completely, unable to process anything but the horrifying flashbacks and the impending sense of inescapable death.

To Natsu and Mavis, the world was as chaotic as ever, and there was only the two of them that existed. Natsu could feel a strange pull to this woman, the same pull that she had felt to him, as two kindred spirits locking in a terrifying cycle. "Immortality. Existence without birth or death. Agelessness. Ankhesram," she said to him, the words cold and tasteless on her mouth, still staring at him with a morbid fascination. She had never seen anyone before who had broken the rules of life and death besides herself, no one that she could feel the same power from. It made her heart lift, begging for a final respite from the loneliness, but also a crushing sadness that there would now be twice as much suffering in the world.

The two guilds were nearly depleted in just a few moments, though the strongest and most stable members remained, either through determination to save as many lives as possible, a gripping fear, or their own motivations. The true worshipers still stood, those who had nothing but respect for the dark lady and they slowly began to lower themselves to their knees before her. They seemed to move almost robotically, sinking to the floor with their heads bowed, praying their allegiance would save their lives. "Master Mavis…" Mika's words cut through the desperation, though even the S-Class wizard was shuddering as Mavis's eyes passed over her.

Seeing an opening as Mavis became distracted, Erza quickly grabbed Natsu's arm. "We need to run," she told him simply, receiving only a blank look but pulling his arm sharply. She hadn't dared to pull him away from their conversation, knowing nothing of the Mavis of this world but terrifying rumours. If the first master had a temper it was best to do everything in their power to avoid it.

Mavis's eyes glossed around the figures that had bowed before her. There was about ten on their knees, though there were others still standing. She recognised none of them, of course. Even if she had seen them before she had seen so many faces in her years that she found it impossible to tell one from another. They rarely looked the same after she left them, after all. She frowned, knowing that these people were just as foolish as every worshiper before them, but there was something that caught her eye. As she glanced through them all, she could see a mark on almost all of them, recalling from distant memories that meant they were from a guild. She derived that it must have been a wizard's guild from the power that emanated from them, but looking closer at the marks made her eyes widen. "Do Fairy's have tails…?" she whispered under her breath, the shimmering memory coming back to her mind, her heart lifting with pride for the briefest of moments.

Darkness began to sweep around her feet. The contradictory curse had begun.

Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and Happy rushed to the exit, but Gray stopped before rushing out. He felt the sudden change in the air, the all-consuming power beginning to twist as the black shadows twirled around Mavis's feet. The small girl was stood in front of his mother. Mika's head was bowed, her thick black fringe covering her face. Even from the exit doorway he could tell she was shaking. Gray couldn't take another step away, knowing that destruction was imminent. Instead he tried to rush forward, into the deadly curse, but Erza's strong hands grabbed him back.

"Mika!" Silver too had noticed the growing power, and though he knew he too was not out of the way of the terrifying power he could not watch his ex-wife be consumed in the deadly darkness without trying to save her. He ran forwards, knocking her down and wrapping his arms around the flame maker and hoping that his thick metal armour and his own beating heart would be enough to protect her from the life consuming curse.

Ur's eyes went wide, feeling the hopelessness in the wake of the sheer power resonating from Mavis. It was everything they had been told it would be and worse. Lyon was still frozen in fear, Silver had run towards the epicentre and there were tens of people here that would be killed in an instant blast. Her eyes filled with tears as she pulled her legs apart, twisting her arms and preparing herself to use the deadly Iced Shell, one last stand against the impending apocalypse. Even as she began to cast she wasn't certain she would have enough time. She only knew she could not suffer this fate without at least trying. If she was lucky, her life would be spent saving everyone she loved, and countless more for years to come. If she failed, everyone was doomed regardless. It was a worthy risk.

Mavis grabbed her head, tears streaming in her eyes. She could feel the dark magic swarming over her, the overwhelming feeling of death clawing at her soul. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone; she could barely remember how she had even made her way through into the arena in the first place. She had felt joy when she saw the Fairy Tail symbol, felt her heart elevate just enough for it to rip her away. Just as she had felt that she was a good part of this world, that she had made these people's lives better with her guild-mark across their arms and chests, she had tipped the fragile balance and now the destruction was impending. She glanced back to Natsu with her tear filled eyes, seeing he was at the gate. Maybe he was far away enough, maybe he was not. It had been years since she had felt her magic this strong, her peace with humanity so balanced. "Run. Please," she begged him, begged all of them. He still had friends, she realised with an aching heart. She wanted to wish for him to run away from them, too, to separate himself from the world before he had to watch it crumble around him, but she was out of time.

Gray pushed back with all of his might as the dark sphere erupted through the arena, covering everyone inside. Erza was stronger, however, dragging the screaming wizard back as they escaped the bubble of death by only inches. All he could do was scream and scream as he was dragged away from the destructive force that consumed everything he loved, everything he had already lost and was forced to lose again all in one twisted moment of pain. Even as the darkness swirled he tried to push back, tried to dive into it and Erza knew in a horrifying realisation that even Gray must have realised there was no saving his family now. He wasn't pushing to rescue them; he was trying to join them.

She begged him to run, her own tears rushing down her face. In the flurry she had barely seen who had remained in the ring, but knew that there too many were loved ones inside that had not escaped. Most of the S-Class wizards of Fairy Tail had been bowed before the deadly weapon, many of Pixie Wing had remained to try and stop them or protect the few friends that could not escape. And where had Simon been? She couldn't focus on the death-count, trying desperately to tell herself that it wasn't real. _It wasn't real_. She gritted her teeth, a new determination, knowing that there was no way that this world could exist and that they would do everything in their power to stop it. Right now, however, she just had to make sure their ice mage could stay alive. She could feel his desperation was growing, her own arms weakening as he gained valuable ground forwards, fingers outstretched towards the black sphere of deadly magic. "I'm sorry," she whispered, knowing she could have only hold him back so long. She closed her eyes, wishing the apology would be remembered as she struck him hard on the back of the head, knocking him unconscious and dragging him away.

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 **I'm a horrible horrible person that shouldn't be trusted with feels.**

 **This story was set with the challenge that I wasn't allowed to kill off Gray. WELL I HAVEN'T KILLED GRAY, HAVE I?**

 **If you do want to rant and yell at me, just a quick note that for some bizarre reason my review board on this story is completely frozen and isn't letting me see any of your lovely comments. :( I still get emails, but nothing is visible and I can't directly reply to them. If you do want to yell or leave a review, PMs may be easier until this glitch is sorted. #sigh**

 **Oh and thanks BlueFlaw for pointing out on top of these glitches I keep having, when I'm copy and pasting these chapters it isn't keeping the original lines in format. GAH! So now I'm having to go back and add them all in.**


	14. Chapter 13 Regret

**Arghhh someone has left a review and I can't read it D: Stupid glitch! If its you, please leave a PM? Hopefully my review board will sync back up soon so I'll be able to read and reply to everyone.**

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Crocus was a dangerous place to be that night. Families rushed around, truly believing that it was the end of the world. Apocalypse had arrived on their doorstep, the sun was breaking, and there was no hope left. Bags were being frantically packed, shops raided for whatever they could take, fires started and violence erupting. The guild members who were in Crocus for the Games had done all they could to help but most of their more powerful members had yet to recover from the entertaining battles. The National Army roamed the streets, but Fairy Tail had taken out a reasonable chunk of both their morale and their forces even before Mavis had arrived, and most of them were made out of similar minded people to those who were desperately trying to pull together the remainder of life. There were even whispers that Fairy Tail had invited their deadly mascot to Crocus for revenge against the National Army and now the National Army faced even more violent attacks and slander.

While most of the crowds pushed towards the walls and gates of the city, Fairy Tail's Strongest Team pushed in the opposite direction, trying to move towards where they had remembered the Eclipse Gate to be. It wasn't an easy route despite this, however, as the palace had become one of the key places for the looters and huge crowds caught against the royal guard in desperate struggles for power and wealth. Inside, the royal family quivered with fear, knowing that the unexpected rebellion could destroy everything they had worked so hard to create. Regardless, the companions had to move on, struggling for time as Erza dragged Gray's unconscious form over her shoulders. The events that they had just seen made their hearts heavier, their footsteps slower despite all of their urgency. In just a few minutes the Eclipse Gate would sync with their own world and they had to do everything in their power to make sure that this disaster did count for anything but painful nightmares.

They stopped for a moment, looking over the wall and staring across Crocus and regaining their bearings. The capital city burned and screamed, billows of smoke rising into the twisted sun. A shadow from the crack above them was now large enough to cover most of the city, submerging them into hysteria as pockets of darkness appeared all over the capital. They still had further to move, the Eclipse Gate was not far now but their path was winding if they wanted to avoid the vicious crowds.

Lucy leaned in closer to Natsu, feeling fear rushing over her and wishing that the dragon slayer could offer some of his familiar hope. She refused to believe that this situation was hopeless, that nothing could be rekindled. They had only seen a dark haze, felt the death seeping through the magic and a part of her wanted to rush back into the arena and try and find survivors, though she knew in her heart Mavis's magic showed no mercy. She had seen friends in the arena, watched them all disappear into darkness and it was only because the true horror of the vision hadn't set in yet that she was able to take one step after another. Still, the pain that she felt would be nothing compared to her companion's, she knew as she glanced back to Gray, still unconscious and leaning against the requip wizard. "Do you think he'll be alright?" Lucy asked in a heavy whisper, her eyes softening and threatening tears.

Natsu glanced back but he didn't want to remind himself for a moment longer than he needed to. "Yeah, Erza wouldn't have hurt him too badly."

"That's not what I meant…" Lucy whispered again.

Natsu knew that wasn't what she meant. The look on his face said as much. He knew it and he didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to have any more of these horrific thoughts burned into his mind. He had just seen so many of his nakama pushed straight into the arms of death and he couldn't help but feel completely powerless. He played it over and over in his mind, trying to think of just how many lives he could have saved if he'd realised what was happening in time, how many he could have dragged away from the deadly black magic. He hadn't watched his own parents die, though. He hadn't watched his old master try to cast the spell that had cost her her life. Though Natsu knew that these memories would sting even when they went back to their own world, it wouldn't leave the gaping wound it would in Gray's soul. He could only pray the Eclipse Gate would be forgiving and steal back the memories of this non-existent world.

Lucy's lip wobbled, seeing all of Natsu's thoughts screaming through his silence. She, too, knew that saying these things out loud would only make things worse and went back to trying to remember the maps of Crocus from both sets of her memory. The longer she was in this world the harder it was for her to remember her old life, which made the tragedy of what they had just seen unbearable. She had spent the last year with Fairy Tail, had enjoyed every moment with them, despite being a dark guild. She remembered even the cruellest of them had been kind to her at one time or other, and every one of them she had called family. She couldn't simply dismiss those feelings just because this world would hopefully disappear in a few moments, but the thought that this burden could be lifted was the only thing that kept her from breaking down. "The Eclipse Gate was on top of that balcony…" she said, pointing north-east, her finger tracing the back streets that they would have to run through. She frowned, something in the back of her mind twisting.

"Then we can't wait," Natsu said, determined as he pushed himself back off the wall, needing all the strength he could muster to take the next steps forward. He didn't know what he would do when he saw the gate, if he would crush it or wait for it to charge, because it terrified him he had absolutely no way to make sure this stopped. And was that still for the best? He gripped his hands tightly, not sure how he could even consider that, but there was something in Gray's words earlier that had reminded him that Zeref's influence stretched far wider than their own inner circle. Half of the faces that ran past them were generations that would have never have existed if Zeref had been alive. The world was overpopulated by the thousands, so how much did a few wizards affect that? Many of the faces he'd never known and that meant that here they had already lived at least two decades longer than they would have. Was this fate worse than having never existed at all? He couldn't think like that, he knew that he had to protect his Fairy Tail, the people that had been lost. His guild meant everything to him and he would do everything in his power to protect his nakama.

"Do you feel it?" Erza said suddenly, lifting her head and looking around. "Mavis… I think she's near."

Natsu looked around himself, trying to pinpoint the familiar feeling of deadly magic. It didn't feel like it had done before, this time it was barely a hum through the air but it was definitely Ankhesram, the contradictory curse. He gritted his teeth, angry that he couldn't tell where it was coming from and that time was running out. Part of him wanted to run straight to her and demand that she explain what she meant when she was talking to him. _Immortality. Existence without birth or death. Agelessness. Ankhesram._ What did that mean? And why, out of everyone else, had she looked straight at him? She was the first person in this world that had looked twice at him, seeming to recognise something about him while everyone else was completely devoid.

"Eclipse…" Lucy suddenly stopped in her tracks. The others looked back at her frustrated, not realising why when danger loomed close she was suddenly halting her steps. "That's how I recognised the magic! Eclipse!" she gasped and quickly covered her mouth, the realisation making all colour drain from her face. "Oh no… oh god no…" she thought, trembling.

"Lucy, what is it?" Happy asked, stepping in front of her and looking concerned that she may have finally cracked.

"Eclipse… was created by Zeref…" she whispered, falling to her knees in a sudden despair. "There will be no Eclipse Gate because Zeref created the Eclipse Gate. I recognised it from Mavis's magic, it was exactly the same kind of magic that powers the Eclipse Gate, which you told us was Zeref's, Natsu…" she looked up at the sun, watching as more darkness consumed it from the inside. "This entire world is a contradiction. It shouldn't exist. If Eclipse Gate doesn't exist, no one could go back and destroy Zeref. It's a paradox. We're inside a paradox…"

Though the others could not comprehend exactly what this meant, they could see by the look of fear across Lucy's face that this was instantly bad news. There was no Eclipse Gate to try to reach, the world was crumbling around them and what was worse was that they had completely lost their goal. "Does that mean we're trapped here?!" Natsu demanded aggressively.

Lucy's lip wobbled. "I don't know…" she admitted. For obvious reasons, as far as she was aware there had never been such a bold paradox created but she knew that this must have been the reason for the sun breaking around them, and possibly for the violent ripple in time that they had been pulled into. "I really don't know what happens now…" she admitted. Tears were falling down her cheeks and she could do nothing to hold them back, the hopelessness consuming her, the painful grief that she had been trying so hard to delay burning inside of her chest.

Natsu and Erza glanced back at each other, both feeling the desperation consuming them. Time was running short, though they had nowhere left to run to. "We can't give up," Natsu told her, standing in front of the crying blond and offering his hand to lift her back up. "I refuse to give up. We'll find the Eclipse Gate, we'll keep going," he said, because he simply had to.

She looked up at him with blurred eyes, every memory of the dragon slayer clear in her mind. With him she didn't have to pick apart her memories, with him she didn't have to question who she was or where her loyalties lay. He was only in one world, the true world. Even if they lost all other goals he would be a reminder that they had a home to return to. She could feel a glow inside of her chest, feel that everything was finally making sense and she wanted to hold onto him and nothing else. She made do with accepting his hand, letting him pull her to her feet and trying to brave a smile for him. She nodded. They wouldn't give up.

As Natsu wanted to smile back at Lucy, he suddenly stepped back, a pain gripping from inside of him. He gasped, stumbling back and holding onto his head. It wasn't from his head, he realised, nor from his stomach or arms or legs. Everything hurt, but the pain's origin was from his very soul. He could feel concerned eyes looking at him and stumbled further back, instinctively wanting to push away the friends around him. The more they looked at him the more he could feel this new and unexpected sensation clawing at him, the more that he could feel something welling inside of his chest. Magical energy flowed through his veins, more than he had ever felt, the foreign entity consuming his dragon fire and overwhelming him.

Lucy was stepping forwards, trying to catch and stabilise him, but he shouted out suddenly "Get back!" He could feel this darkness, recognise the power even if he had no memories of the way it scratched the back of his skin. It pulsated inside of him, trying to reach out to Lucy and terror flooded his mind as he moved even further back. It wanted her. She wasn't listening to his warnings, looking at her with those same concerned wide eyes. His heart ached for her, and the darkness fed on it.

He gritted his teeth, knowing that he couldn't hold it back, couldn't rely on Lucy to save herself. He held his head, tears forming in his eyes through the pain. It could disappear in a moment, he knew, he could let the magical energy burst from outside of him. He could engulf the world in a deadly black sphere of death. In that realisation he turned on his heels and ran, running as fast as he could and trying to ignore the cries of his friends behind him. Erza could never keep up with him, not while she was holding Gray. Happy could easily follow, but the small cat trusted Natsu obediently and if Natsu told him to stay back he would. Lucy, however, would do everything she could to help him. He just had to outrun her.

The darkness bubbled inside of him expectedly, waiting to reach out into the world around him. He'd never held it back before and had no idea how to, knowing that it was only thanks to his incredibly strong magical energy that he had time to give the warning and opportunity to run from his friends. This was Immortality. Existence without birth or death. Agelessness. Ankhesram. This was the contradictory curse. It fed on his non-existence and had been slowly building inside of him since the moment he came to life four days ago, growing in power with the closeness to the seal of Eclipse. He ran mindlessly, a panic through his entire body as he kept almost running straight into huge angry crowds. The look of their faces and the disgust in their behaviour gave him enough control to run in the opposite direction but he couldn't let himself think about the friends he had left behind, about what his next steps would be.

Somehow he found himself on the balcony of the Eclipse Gate. There was something in his body that seemed drawn to this place, that seemed to know the direction and take him there even in his blind desperation. The platform was empty, the sun was darkening and there seemed nothing left. They had minutes and there was no gate to prevent his world from existing. No more fight inside of him, the magical bubble around him burst into a brilliantly dark light, Ankhesram twisting through the balcony desperately trying to find life to absorb and obliterate.

"Na…tsu…" He turned suddenly. He had been careless; in his moment of weakness the magical curse had escaped his body, surrounding him in death. He hadn't even thought to look around himself. The concrete remained unharmed, only the tiny weeds trying to gasp for life between the cracks were choked by his power, and the girl standing behind him. Lucy had her arm outstretched to him, frozen for a second as the darkness sank into her lungs. Her eyes went wide, with only a second of fear, before rolling back into her head. She fell forwards into Natsu's arms without a breath on her lips.

"LUCY!" Natsu screamed, not understanding but feeling all of her weight suddenly in his arms, pulling them both to the ground. He fell to his knees, pulling her as close to him as possible but there was no strength in her own body to support herself. Panic and disbelief set into the dragon slayer immediately, trying to pull her up and look at her, draw something from her. It had been so sudden, his brain had been so scrambled and his heart was sure it couldn't take this. Not now, not ever. "Lucy, Lucy say something. Lucy!" he shouted at her, shaking her. Already there were tears rolling down his cheeks. His acute senses could feel nothing from her, no magic, no energy, no breath or heartbeat. Her skin was pale, her cheeks draining quickly of their beautiful blush, her lips completely still. She was beyond sleep, beyond unconsciousness and he pulled her lifeless body close to his chest. She was dead. He didn't know how, he didn't know why, but he knew she was dead.

As the dragon slayer cried, holding the body of his friend, Mavis watched with hollow eyes. Somewhere in the back of her mind would be the memory of the first life her curse had taken, of the closest friend she had ever ripped from life, but these memories were distant and faded by repetition. This was a story she had witnessed too many times in her unnaturally extended life. It was a fate she had never hoped to fall on anyone else, even if she had wanted someone to finally be able to feel her footsteps. Cautious, she crept forwards. Though she knew that the man in front of her could give her no lasting damage, she knew that he could rip her heart out by rejecting their friendship. This was possibly the only person in the world she would ever be able to walk besides and to be instantly pushed away would break what respect she had left for this world. "Hello," she remembered to say this time.

Natsu looked up, his face blotchy and red and coated in thick tears. He saw the woman, saw the horrific damage that she had caused in the arena and felt the heavy weight in his arms. "What have you done?!" he demanded, desperately seeking answers and some kind of repair.

Mavis looked at him with sadness. Though it had become harder to process, sympathy was an emotion that had never left her in all of these years. "I told you, I'm very sorry," she said, repeating her words from earlier. "I didn't do anything to her." She could feel his tears grow more violent, as he pulled the body even closer and doubled over himself. He knew, she realised, but she knew how difficult it was to believe your own knowledge without someone else to guide your way. "Ankhesram is the contradictory curse. The more that you appreciate life, the more it takes life away. You and I, we walk between life and death. As we walk, we create waves in both the living and the dead. The ripples our steps make cause this..." she said, casually spreading out her hands, gesturing to the silent celestial wizard. "I would say that the first time is the hardest, but it never gets easier," she said, grief tainting her words. Even though she knew that so many of the lives she had ended would have died of old age and natural causes by now, it didn't stop her from seeing their faces as she closed her eyes. Life was so fragile and try as she might she couldn't help but have love for it. "How did it happen to you?" she asked him once again.

Natsu trembled, concentrating on his breathing. He didn't want to have this conversation; he didn't want to have any kind of conversation. He wanted to put breath back into Lucy's lungs, he wanted to destroy whoever had done this, he wanted to scream and hit something and fix everything. His eyes glanced back to Mavis, remembering the fear that had erupted as he mentioned her name. The girl was alone and she was offering her hand for him to walk the same lonely path as her. Natsu could still feel Zeref's magic floating through the air and realised it wasn't Zeref's magic, it was _his_ magic. His mind wandered back to the killing curse he had felt back on Tenrou Island, realising that Zeref hadn't intended to cast it either. This wasn't some obscene power, it was a drain and it was a curse in the truest sense of the word. If they had originally come from this world, he imagined that they would have been trying to stop Mavis as a child. And in a few years' time, would they be trying to kill Natsu as an infant? He shivered. He'd never even considered the thought that Zeref was anything less than a cold-hearted killer. The chill was now gnawing against his own soul and he finally understood the temptation, the evil and after four hundred years of fighting what a man could become. It was no excuse but it was at least an explanation.

It took him a few moments to realise the sudden darkness that consumed them wasn't coming from inside him. He looked up slowly, realising that the last drop of sunlight had been broken away from the sky. The world was submerged into shadow.

Mavis's eyes sparkled as she looked up with child-like wonder, a gentle smile crossing her face. "Isn't it wonderful?" she asked, grasping her hands together and forgetting that there was company. For the briefest moment she almost looked like the child her body appeared as. "I always thought an eclipse is so magical and beautiful," she whispered, reaching her hands up to the unexpected night.

An eclipse. Natsu stared up, realising that it couldn't have possibly been a coincidence. They had assumed that the darkness over the sun had been due to it breaking apart, the paradox that Lucy had been so terrified of, but the result had been unmistakably the same the natural phenomenon. He couldn't bring himself to speak but he knew that there was still some hope in the absence of the sun. Down below, from the screams and explosions, he knew that Fiore felt the opposite way but for these people it was perhaps the end of the world.

He felt the Eclipse Gate before he could see it. It felt warming, familiar and he had sudden vivid memories of being curled up inside Igneel's warm tail. It felt like home, calling to him, whispering soft lullabies in a strangely female voice and as he turned he could feel the soft light glowing against his tearstained cheeks. Though the shell of the gate was completely gone, the glowing circle the exact same size of the gateway was in front of him, twisting the new night into the hopes of a new age. He held Lucy tighter, refusing to let go of the celestial wizard. The gate called to him, washing away the deadly curse over his body and filling his darkness with light.

He closed his eyes letting it take over him. "I'll put this right, Lucy. I promise. I'll save Zeref."

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 **So for all of you holding out for what happened to Natsu in this world... nothing happened. One day he didn't exist, the next he did. Sure he probably existed some four hundred years ago, but right now he's just some entity that broke the rules of life and death and for that he got the contradictory curse.**

 **Also, you may have noticed that while Mavis's power might not be as strong, her curse is stronger than Zeref's. This is just because I imagine she cares an awful lot more than him. Natsu would be potentially even worse after a few hundred years.**

 **Also, the 'explanation' as to why there's inconsistencies between the worlds. Mostly because half way through writing this I realised the same thing Lucy did, and that the Eclipse Gate itself is a Zeref creation. Dammit! There's a little more of an explanation on the dragon slayers themselves which I'll post on the end, but its not really a part of the story itself.**

 **I realise I've been binge posting like crazy this weekend, I'm sorry. We'll see how the next few chapters go.**


	15. Chapter 14 Undo

**I know I've already warned you, but spoilers ahead if you haven't read up to the latest manga.**

 **Also GUYS I CAN'T READ YOUR REVIEWS. It's heartbreaking! If you want to review something, please please please let me know in a PM so I can actually read it? :)**

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When Natsu opened his eyes, he was no longer in Crocus. He had no idea where he was but the very air felt different here. The temperature was warming, the world bright once more but only through the light streaming through the high windows above mountains of bookcases. He was inside, he realised more slowly, and standing. In a blind panic he realised he was alone and that Lucy was no longer with him. "Lucy!" he cried out quickly, realising nothing in the world meant more to him than her safety. In his blind hysteria he had forgotten what he was even coming here for, or even where 'here' could be, charging forwards and trying to rush past maze of bookcases. Shadows raced over his face as he dashed between flashes of light. There were too many hidden corners here, he realised in anger as his entire body erupted into a bright flame. He had no time to control his magic, to hold himself back. His heart was beating quickly and anger was rushing through his body, desperate for the resolution. He had been beaten, his heart crumpled, his guild destroyed, and his patience had officially been spent. "Lucy!" he cried out again, knowing for certain that he had been holding her lifeless body only minutes before. He had to find her and he had to save her.

"I'm scared," whispered a tiny boy up to his slightly older brother, his eyes wide and staring at the flaming bolt that rushed through their home in a frenzy.

His brother's mouth was a strained thin line. He had been fearing this day would come and knew that he had to be strong for his little brother. He didn't feel strong, watching the flame passing from one corner to the next, desperately searching for life within the pages of spells. The terrifying magical energy and unnatural heat made a cold drop of sweat run down his forehead. He couldn't show his brother fear, however. Gently, he brushed his hand against the boy's pink spikes, giving him a small and comforting smile. "You shouldn't be afraid. Stay here. I'll protect you," he promised, beginning to step out of their hiding place. The younger brother grabbed onto his shirt and surprised him for a moment, then he softened back into a smile. "I promise, I'll protect you. Stay safe," he assured him, ruffling his hair one last time before pulling the tiny boy's hands from him and stepping out to face the fire devil head-on.

Zeref stood as tall as he could, no older than seven years old, but already with enough magical energy that made the flaming Natsu stop in his tracks. A look of dread and determination crossed the dark wizard's face. This child had already seen death and he had already felt huge amounts of power that spiralling now from his fingertips. This was not the weak infant that they had been promised; even as a child Zeref had never been helpless. A cold look glared back into the dragon flames, thinking that he knew exactly what the threat they faced was. For years he had been feared, hunted and chased for the energy that easily twisted around his fingertips. Even at seven years old he had more power in his body than most wizards could accomplish in a lifetime and it was one of the purest forms of magic to ever grace Earthland. Faceless men had desired his power, going to unimaginable lengths to take the gift from him and turn him towards their dark deeds. They had stopped at nothing to procure the two boys. Their constant attacks had only grown worse after being orphaned by the fierce dragon. Zeref had always known that one day they would be found, and as he stared back into the flaming weapon he knew he would rather spend every last drop of magic in his body than let these monsters take his beloved brother.

Natsu tried to put his hands up to protest, to tell the young boy that he had meant no harm but as a flaming ball of energy his peaceful gesture could not so easily be seen. He extinguished his spell just as Zeref's powers erupted from his fingers, a huge strike of static energy twisting and hitting Natsu squarely across the chest, sending the dragon slayer flying straight into the bookcase behind him. He left a burning hole through the furniture, papers flying through the air as the giant structure creaked and groaned. Natsu felt true pain from the attack. He had taken many blows before but never had he expected to feel something like this from such a young child. The magic was the purest he had ever felt and as he tried to pull himself back up he could feel the static in the air still buzzing around him. He would have been impressed if not for the dire position.

"I won't let you take us," the boy said again, wasting no time to prepare his second attack. He twisted his hands together, the calculated mind of the future dark lord pulling on the original magic of the world, twisting pure emotion into dangerous fusion. "You won't get away with this."

"Wait-" Zeref didn't wait. Natsu was once again thrown backwards, a blur of pink and red that crashed into the nearest supporting structure. The ceiling creaked and stones began to rustle from the wall. Natsu had destroyed enough buildings to know that this old mess would not last long. He was amazed that the ancient walls had been standing even before the destructive warpath had begun.

The dragon slayer's body ached uncomfortably, unable to tell what the strange form of magic was, just knowing that it hurt and it made him even more angry. He pulled himself from the ground, temporarily forgetting that this person wasn't his enemy. Zeref, even as a child, was inexcusably a threat who had caused the suffering and pain of thousands. He had taken lives that had been dear to Natsu's friends, robbed him of the chance of meeting many wonderful people, corrupted the minds of many more. Seeing yet more magic charge through the air, Natsu's fiery instincts kicked in as he bellowed out a huge flaming roar, the tunnel of heat spiralling straight past the boy and slicing easily through more bookshelves and the rest of the wall.

The entire room shivered and ached and all of a sudden a huge slab of ceiling crashed to the ground. The boy looked at it, too stunned to move, his home crashing to the ground before him at his assailant's hands. His mind flashed back to the attack of Acnologia, his parents' final moments. He could see it all again; his parents trying desperately to fight against the man as he twisted his form into a dragon, rising into a sudden giant beast. They had watched helplessly as he grew, collapsing the entire building as his craning neck smashed through the ceiling. Memories bounced before his eyes, memories of being under the burning wreckage of their home and desperately trying to pull their parents from their sealed fate. Memories of the dragon slayer's final terrifying form. Trapped in his horrified flashbacks, he couldn't move.

Natsu cursed loudly, jumping up over the falling debris and rushing straight to Zeref. He was supposed to save him and right now he was once again doing a terrible job of not destroying everything. He may not have been able to protect the building but he could still save the startled boy, though it took all of his will power to do so, as instead of lunging for an attack he scooped him in his arms and bolted towards the newest hole in the walls. He could hear the boy screaming out but he couldn't hear what he was saying over the sounds of the building quickly collapsing into rubble.

Zeref tore himself out of Natsu's arms, no longer caring about enemies or saviours. Tears were in his eyes, his feet instantly turned back to the broken building just in time to see the last of the ceiling crash to the ground. "Ni-Chan!" he screamed out as loudly as his lungs would let him, not even waiting for the last of the pillars to crumble as he dived inside the remains of the library, trying to find his way through the carnage to where he had left his brother. "Ni-Chan!" he cried out louder, pain flooding his voice, his throat feeling like it would rip open from the pure emotion in his words. He knelt to the ground where he was certain the youngest brother had been standing, desperately trying to remove rocks and books and debris.

Natsu stood frozen, staring back at Zeref as the boy climbed through the wreckage, the haunting realisation overcoming him. Zeref had a brother, someone else had been in the room. Natsu's heart stopped in his chest, realising that while he had bounded forwards so quickly to protect Zeref he should have kept his eyes open for someone else, for a younger brother. Zeref had even told him: _"I won't let you hurt us"._ The dark haired boy hadn't been acting rashly on his own behalf, he had been trying to protect his family and that was an instinct that ran through Natsu's veins. A blood curdling scream told him that Zeref had found his brother and was dragging him into his arms, the same way that Natsu had held Lucy only moments ago.

Tears rolled down Zeref's face as he held onto his little brother's limp body. He no longer cared that his enemy was right beside him. They could take him away if they truly wanted, teach him magic and try and create a puppet out of him. He had had nothing left to fight for but his brother and now that was gone. "Natsu…" he whispered, pulling the tiny body closer to his chest. "Natsu I'm sorry… I wasn't strong enough to save you…" he breathed through his sobs.

Natsu watched, confused before finally realising that Zeref wasn't talking to him. Or rather, he wasn't talking to the adult version of himself. As he stepped forwards he could see a flash of pink hair in the boy's arms, stained red with blood. His eyes grew wide, not understanding but there was some part of him that knew it was impossible for him to deny that this was truth. This, in all of its impossible nature, felt more real than anything had during the last four days. As Zeref looked up at him, a lost and desperate look in his eyes, he realised that he had seen this boy give him the exact same grief-stricken look when his parents had died. When _their_ parents had died.

Zeref's eyes suddenly opened wider, finally seeing Natsu for the first time without his flaming disguise. He looked back at the body in his arms and up to the fully grown man in front of him, not understanding how it was possible but knowing in all certainty it was the same person. "Wh-what…?" Zeref trembled, feeling the colour draining from his cheeks.

Natsu looked at him, realising in that moment that through all this confusion, through the heartbreak and the torment, this was just a _child_. Though he had never exactly warmed to the idea of hurting an infant, they had at least been able to justify that it was Zeref. In front of him now was just a scared little boy, however, holding the body of his brother. Of _him_. It was just far too obscure for Natsu to even begin to understand how it made him feel. Part of him even wanted to hold his brother, to tell him that it would be ok and that one day he would breath and live and grow up to be the man in front of him. He wished that he could offer some comfort, a long forgotten instinct to care for his older brother burning inside of him. He couldn't bring himself to say anything because although he would do anything to save Zeref in the past he would stop at nothing to destroy him in the future. Knowing they were related would change not change that fact.

The magic was fading, the spell was lifting and the dragon slayer could feel himself being pulled back into his own timeline. If he had truly wanted to destroy Zeref and make the chaotic world he had just experienced real, this would be his last chance. "I'm sorry…" he said, not speaking to the boy in front of him, but to the thousands of people that would die because of his choices he made this day. He was sorry to his friends, to those who had had to be raised into the slavery of the R-System, to those that had lost their families and lives to demons like Deliora. He was sorry to Zeref, for somehow causing the death of his brother. He had no idea what this would mean as he took the next steps into his old world. Was this another of those paradoxes that Lucy was talking about? A pain in his heart twisted as he thought of the celestial wizard, wondering if she would be safe. He could only hope a world without Natsu would have a better outcome.

"I'm sorry, I can't…" he said to himself, the young boy's eyes still burning into him. He was disappearing now, assuming that he had destroyed himself from all history. He wanted to keep going, to have more to fight, but when he was staring at a form of himself that was young and cold and broken it was hard not to believe that he was simply being erased. The lack of hope did not sit easily on his chest, however. He refused to believe that it would be the end of it all though. "I may not be able to defeat you now, but I promise, one day, I will end you," he said.

Zeref blinked into the empty space in front of him as Natsu sank into the warming glow of the Eclipse, feeling himself fading from existence. He was ready to disappear, ready for history to rewrite itself, letting the soft radiance wrap around him in an embrace. It felt comforting, it felt caring and something about it felt like being in Lucy's arms. _"Thank you, Natsu Dragneel, for saving Lucy. Our family once again owes yours a great debt…"_ a voice whispered to him. It was female, soft, soothing as he let it soak through his soul.

"Zeref?!" Even though he was no longer in a physical form Natsu could still hear a voice in the distant world, still see the ruins in front of him as a figure ran through the carnage. The voice that rang through the images before him was the same as the whisper through his soul, though it had a completely different tone. The woman before him seemed desperate, afraid, while the voice was nothing but serene. "Zeref! Natsu!" the blonde celestial wizard called again, stumbling over falling rocks and rushing in front of the dark-haired boy, falling to her knees as she put her hand over her mouth, tears falling from her eyes.

 _"Lucy….?"_ Natsu questioned, his eyes growing wide as he tried to work out why Lucy would suddenly have such long hair or why she would be putting her hand on Zeref's shoulder.

 _"No, not Lucy, though the family resemblance is striking, is it not? My name is Anna Heartfillia and I am Eclipse,"_ said the voice.

Natsu's frown deepened, trying to process the new information. Eclipse was alive and every step that they had taken through its gate had been laid before them with the same love and care as a Heartfillia. If he had known that earlier he might have placed more trust in the gate's magic.

 _"I remember this day well…"_ the voice told him, gentle and laced with sadness as she watched her own memories play out before them. _"This was the day that Zeref told me about his plans to create Eclipse. He said that he had foreseen that it would work and that time travel was possible. I had thought he was delusional, grief-stricken, but there was something in his eyes… Something that told me that he would go to the ends of the earth… and I trusted him…"_

Zeref looked back to the celestial wizard, the same look in his eyes that had both terrified and inspired Anna to take the plunge into Eclipse. They were filled with crisp determination, tears burning hot against his cheeks and a thousand calculations running through his mind. "Natsu will come back. And he will be my end," the boy told the woman, his words not allowing the slightest hint of doubt.

 _"I had loved both you and Zeref as if my own children. I gladly gave my life to Eclipse for this very moment, Natsu, but I never truly believed he would turn into the monster you have had to endure. I never wanted you to destroy Zeref, but you needed to make that decision on your own. That is why I gave you four days, four days to see the world without him. His fate was never mine to choose, it was a decision that should be made by the living. I believe that you chose well, Natsu."_

Natsu watched, unable to catch any of the words between Anna and Zeref as they spoke quick and desperate plans, focussing on Eclipse's final explanation. As she spoke to him, he could feel himself growing further and further from the broken library, from the destruction and pain as the world became darker and more distant. _"Am I going to disappear…?"_ Natsu asked.

He could feel Eclipse's soft smile as she spoke. _"No, Natsu, you won't disappear. You won't understand this now, but time is how it always has been. And now you must live. Your brother is waiting for you to be his end. Do not let him down."_

Natsu looked confused, a sudden light shining brightly through the darkness. He went to put his hand in front of his eyes, realising that now he had a solid hand to use. It was, however, being taken. He could feel it squeezed suddenly tightly, looking up and realising that Lucy was holding it with all her might, a look of fierce determination across her face as she stared up at pulsating Eclipse Gate. In his other hand was Happy's tiny paw and as he looked down the line he could see Erza and Gray both staring up at the Gate, ready to face whatever the new world would unfold for them. They had been promised utopia, a world without darkness, a world without pain. They didn't even realise that it had already been shattered into a thousand pieces before they could even step through the gate.

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 **Well I hope that all made sense.**

 **And didn't go too far against any canon.**

 **Actually, I added Anna at the last minute. I always had the idea that the Gate had a female voice, but just before I posted this I decided to add her talking to Natsu. Because a little more explanation always goes a long way.**

 **In case you can't tell, this story is almost at an end now! D:**


	16. Chapter 15 Exist

**Reminder: My review board is glitched. Please don't post on it, if you want me to be able to read a review, PM me instead (or both?) :)**

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Lucy gasped as she felt herself hurtling back through the vortex, breath filling her lungs once more. She had felt death, she had felt her entire body go cold and what was worst of all was that she had seen the look in Natsu's eyes as she had collapsed into his arms. A cold shudder passed across her body, feeling as if she was suddenly going to scream. It was just like the feeling of being freed from Mirajane's emotional bonds, a sudden flood of sensations rising through her body and pressing heavily against her chest as she had to remind herself she needed to breathe once more. The light of the Eclipse Gate once more brushed her cheeks, the magical power feeling so similar to the curse, except now twisting with the celestial magic warming her skin. Each of her Zodiac's hearts beat with hers, each one of them left a gentle caress of unnatural light against her skin. Slowly her spirits guided her thoughts back to the present, memories of the world that she had left behind converging with those of this original world, her true world. She could not let a world without Zeref exist. She could not let herself to die. She could not let her nakama die. She could not let Natsu become the monster he set out to destroy.

Desperately the celestial wizard lunged forwards, tears streaming down her face and panic in her expression. The royal army around her jumped quickly to her sudden bound forwards, trying to use their swords and spears to stop the agile young woman from getting towards the controls. She dodged out of the way of them, partly from skill but mostly from sheer luck as blade after blade missed her soft skin by millimetres. She made one final rush forwards, lunging towards the control panel when her hand suddenly hit a huge block of ice.

"Don't you dare," Gray hissed at her, the cold energy twisting around his hands as he prepared himself to do whatever it took to ensure his new world became a reality.

Lucy stood with wide eyes, not knowing how she could possibly tell Gray that the world they had just been in had killed her. She was afraid to see his reaction, knowing that he had already seen dozens of their nakama twisted into the dark shadows of death and yet he still stood, a cold gleam in his eyes, determined to seal their fate. She wasn't certain that her death would have even made a difference to his judgement and she certainly didn't want to find out. "That world can't exist, Gray. It just can't," she said, her resolve shaking and feeling like she was ready to fall down to her knees.

Suddenly, a huge creaking sound flooded the balcony. The army stepped backwards, looking up at the giant stone gate with wide eyed terror as the entire structure shuddered. The comforting glow of the swirling gate vibrated and flashed, a dangerous hum filling the air. Lucy's eyes grew wide as she stared at the huge structure, jumping backwards as the first intricate stone slid out of place and crashed to the ground, splintering into a thousand pieces.

Gray stumbled backwards, disbelief and horror flooding his expression. His thoughts were with the world beyond the vortex, to the family that he had watched disappear into darkness, praying they had survived the attack. He remembered every face he had never seen before, every new member of Fairy Tail and Pixie Wing that had not survived some onslaught against Zeref or his followers. There had been thousands of lives that had never existed and even if they had died that night they had at least lived for decades longer than Zeref's creations had allowed. The gigantic structure shuddered without the centrepiece stone, trembling precariously. "What did you do…?" he demanded of the celestial wizard, though he couldn't bring himself to have any force behind his words, his entire world literally crashing at his feet.

Lucy looked back at him, her words stumbling out of her mouth. "I didn't do anything! You wouldn't let me!" she exclaimed, squealing suddenly as another of the huge blocks crashed into the ground. The glowing doorway crackled and spiked vicious energy, desperately trying to lunge out to the world and twisting through reality in its death throws. "I told you, that world can't exist!" she summarised as she ran back to her friends' sides, taking her place once again in the middle of the row, her musical voice contrasting with the shrill hum of the gate. She was not only explaining to her friends but for the entire royal guard that watched in despair as their creation began to tear itself apart. "That world was a paradox. The Eclipse Gate can't exist in a world without Zeref because Zeref created the Eclipse Gate. It's completely unstable…" she told them, covering her eyes from the sudden growing light.

The screech from the gate became louder, the stones falling faster and the pieces becoming engulfed in the twisting vortex. As the pitch became shriller and the light grew brighter, soon they all had to cover their eyes from the light as bright as a sun. Gray pushed his icy magic forwards, creating a giant iced wall to protect them. Erza twisted her armour around her body, conjuring her largest and strongest shield and positioning herself in front of her friends and the royals. Happy pulled himself close to Natsu, ready to fly them far away. Natsu's arms were quickly around Lucy, lacking in defensive magic but determined that he wouldn't let Lucy take any harm ever again. Lucy shivered against his chest, closing her eyes as the overwhelming light exploded across Crocus.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the light disappeared into nothing. The natural sun was beginning to set, as the unnatural sun blinked from existence. The citizens of Fiore looked blankly towards the royal castle and the origin of the giant and beautiful explosion. The guards and royal family staring where the Eclipse Gate had stood. Nothing remained. The only evidence of its existence was the cracked concrete stones and a small collection of golden celestial keys in a pile.

Lucy broke out of Natsu's arms with a gasp and ran forwards, falling to her knees in the empty courtyard and lovingly scooping her keys back into her hand, taking the time to ensure that each one of her beloved spirit's keys had not been scratched or damaged by the destruction of the gate. A relieved sigh passed her lips as she could feel the warming magical energy from each and every one of them but she could feel Aquarius' wrath even through her fingertips. She flinched at the thought of having to conjure the water spirit, though she would have liked to at least assume the zodiac would be happy Lucy had survived.

Natsu stared into the void in front of him in a daze, knowing that while Lucy's words may have had some truth to them the Eclipse Gate was far more powerful than what she could have ever comprehended. It had not been destroyed by the paradox but because its purpose had been completed. The gate had felt warm, familiar, alive. It had spoken to him, guided him with a light that reminded him of Lucy's bright and beautiful aura and while he couldn't understand most of what had been shown to him or how he could even begin to explain what he had seen to his friends, he felt confident that it had all been a part of some greater plan. He knew that every step of his journey had already been lain out before them, guided by the loving hands of Eclipse. Though Zeref had created Eclipse, it had always been a Heartfilia that had given it a soul.

Natsu stepped forwards as he watched Lucy, barely able to believe his own luck. The blonde turned to him, a slightly nervous smile on her face as she stood back up, twirling her hair behind her ear. For a moment the two most talkative members of Fairy Tail had nothing to say, glad to be once again in each other's presence but worried that they had lost each other's trust. A blush ran deep over Lucy's cheeks, not able to meet his eyes and Natsu panicked that he had truly upset her. "Lucy, I'm sorry…" he started, not sure how the words were supposed to be said.

She looked up at him, genuinely surprised by the apology. The look in his eyes now and remembering the terror that she had seen in them made her suddenly jump forwards and wrap her arms around the dragon slayer's waist before he could even try to pull away. "Why would you be sorry? I followed you when you told me not to. I should have trusted you," she told him, closing her eyes and realising that the memory of his expression would twist around her nightmares for years to come. She had never wished to see the blind and terrifying panic on the dragon slayer's face again but she didn't much like seeing this guilt either, keeping her eyes tightly closed as she rested her head against his chest. "That spell… that was Zeref's magic, wasn't it?" she asked cautiously.

Natsu nodded, comforted by her warmth but still feeling his instincts telling him that it was dangerous for her to be so close to him. He tensed, knowing in that moment that he could never truly explain what he had seen four hundred years ago. The word 'Zeref' seemed to carry a painful edge in this world, twisting through the atmosphere and infecting everything it touched. "Yeah, the same curse he has…" he said, knowing that if he explained any more the kind hearted celestial wizard might almost feel sorry for Zeref. He couldn't risk her feeling anything but a need to destroy their target. He looked down at her, praying with every fibre of his being that the curse had left him and remained in the paradox world. He couldn't feel any of the familiar darkness twisting through his soul, but that didn't convince him completely.

"I trust you, Natsu," Lucy promised him, pulling back and instead putting her hands into his and drawing his eyes away from his own self-torment. "I know that you wouldn't ever do a thing like that. We were all different people in that world. The important thing to remember was that it wasn't real."

It had felt real. The pain in Gray's chest felt real. He gripped his hand tightly, his eyes an icy mask to the battle that raged inside of him, watching as his friends celebrated what they had truly believed was a victory. The army behind him had felt a reluctant defeat, the royal family truly upset that their efforts had been in vain, but they could not have known what it was like to be reunited with the hope that had been too painful to ignite. He refused to let go of his memories without a fight, growing with his parents and watching them tear each other apart, the friends and enemies that he had made in a real, unbroken childhood. They may not have been real memories, but that only made everything so much worse, knowing that he would never again know who the people he had truly lost were without thinking back to the pale imitations of the paradox.

Slowly he became aware that Erza had not left his side. She had not cheered, she had not smiled and though she had been far more skilled in protecting herself from the emotional damage, he could see the chink in her armour, the same look behind her strong façade. For a moment they locked eyes with one another, seeing all of the unspoken damage, years of torture and pain being pushed back into the depths of their souls and locked far away from the light of day.

No matter what pain or guilt that rested in their souls, not one of them could deny there was goodness in this world. Even the heaviest of hearts was lifted as they approached the Fairy Tail lodgings, seeing dozens of their friends and nakama lined up and waving wildly to them all as they approached. They wore bright smiles, especially with a few extra drinks, with absolutely no idea how close they had been to becoming a dark guild, or worse. Pixies and Fairies wore the same guild mark, drunkenly propped each other up, laughed with each other and would gladly die for one another. If there was one thing that this world did well, it was Fairy Tail itself. It was something that was easy, a place that each one of them slotted into perfectly without even having to think about their morals or alliances. The Fairy Heart pounded inside of each and every one of them in a way that the world without Zeref never could.

"Where have you been, Gray-Sama?" Juvia asked as she rushed forwards, though there was a look in Gray's eyes that even kept the obsessive rain woman a step back. She looked at the others for an explanation but knew even before they could begin that it would not be an easy task.

Cana grinned widely regardless, hugging her keg with her legs and lifting her current tankard. "We had to start the celebration without you!" she cheered, though it no secret that she had been drinking since mid-morning.

Erza looked surprised at their excitement for a moment before smiling to herself. "Of course. We've just won the Grand Magical Games," she remembered smugly, realising that in all of the confusion they hadn't been able to even celebrate their well-deserved victory. They had all been key members to the win, even if they had not been in the final battle, even if like Happy they had only been spectating, they had all been so incredibly important to building their guild from the bottom up.

Makarov and Mavis watched as the team joined the flurry of activity, quickly surrounded by their friends and family as the air became alive with chatter, speaking about their favourite battles of the day and their moments of fear and hope. The tone was light and care-free but the two eldest members watched with interest as the five tried to piece together their memories of only a few hours previously. "We said we would do it, brats, and you've done it," Makarov nodded, realising exactly what this victory meant for the entire guild. The reputation of Fairy Tail would be spared, though he was still oblivious of exactly what extent.

"Gramps!" Natsu gasped as he suddenly bounded towards the old man, his eyes bright and grabbing onto the master's shoulders and shaking him. "Gramps, you remember me, right?!" he asked him, shaking him a little more viciously than he should have, especially considering his master's failing heart.

Happy tried to drag the dragon slayer back, flying cautiously over to the master and checking that the old man was alright. Mavis sat beside him, giggling and making sure that the current master had not gotten too dizzy from the sudden 'attack'. "We remember you, Natsu," she translated for him, having seen the look in Makarov's eyes as they had entered the guild and knowing that it was one of a father seeing his children coming home. "Where _have_ you been?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and eagerly preparing to hear the story from each one of them.

Bisca put a hand on her hip, an amused grin across her face as she leaned against her husband, sharing the guild's joy. There was an energy that ignited in Fairy Tail from the companions, one that they had felt was finally alive once more after seven long years. Participating in the Games had definitely been the right choice and it was clear for the two gunslingers to see that their strength would only grow from this day. Even Asuka was able to feel the energy, pulling herself onto the chair and from there going to stand on the table giving her own cheer as she pushed her hands into the air.

Lucy turned suddenly to her excited cry, her eyes wide as she blinked back at the tiniest gunslinger. They had all been so desperately trying to chase after this girl in the other world she could barely believe that she hadn't spotted her straight away in the middle of all of the festivities. The celestial wizard's eyes softened as she saw her joy and saw the loving parents watching over her. "It's good to be home…" she whispered under her breath, cautiously beginning to tell the guild of their adventure, beginning at the start from how they had been drafted into the royal army to help them with a mysterious project called 'Eclipse'.

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 **And everything ended up all wrapped up with a pretty bow... or did it? ;)**

 **Oh, did you catch the change of names in the chapters?**


	17. Chapter 16 Explanation

**Hey Fairy Tail fans!**

 **So now you've seen the fairytale ending... Now lets see the Fairy Tail ending... ;)**

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The night air had been cold and unforgiving. Erza Scarlet held onto herself as she walked down the dark streets, trying desperately to regain the strength that she had always had in this world. She couldn't deny that the memories of the other world were still lurking in the back of her mind, threatening to slip her into the soft-hearted barmaid at a moment's notice. It was a feeling that had always been inside of her but one she had refused to acknowledge, knowing that she was nothing more than a coward against her true emotions. Jellal had been able to see right through that. He had met the kind-hearted child all those years ago and he was able to see how she had grown into such a vicious woman, mostly due to his own mistakes. Earlier in the night the blue haired mage had approached her, asking if she had found anything more about the link between the Games and Zeref and Erza had found herself lost staring into both of his eyes. Slowly she began to explain to him what Lucy had told the others, though there were many details that she skimmed on. Only after he persisted did she admit that Simon had been by her side and that once again he had died because she was too weak to save him.

She pulled her arms tighter around herself, fighting against the cold and remembering Jellal's hands on her arms. He was trying to be comforting but reminding her that she needed support had made her feel even more awkward. She didn't dare let herself enjoy his touch, just like she hadn't dared let herself enjoy the other world.

She glanced up through the darkness, realising that she was not alone in her melancholy. Though neither had steered their steps to find one another, the ice maker and the requip wizard had directed themselves onto each other's path. Finding Gray had been the excuse Erza had made to exit the inn and quickly update Jellal but she had had full intention to find him afterwards, concern still ringing through her words. "The guild was wondering where you'd gone to," she told Gray, putting her hand on her hip and looking up and down at her friend, trying to assess just how much damage the day had taken on him.

Gray looked away, the dim light not hitting his eyes. "I was just here," he said with a disinterested shrug, his hands deep in his pockets.

Erza nodded slowly, knowing that it was not all too uncommon for her friend to take long walks into the night and that alone would not unsettle her, nor was his reluctance to speak. It took years of watching the subtle signs to discover when he would truly crack and even Erza was certain she had not yet truly perfected the art. "Alzack and Bisca were especially looking for you," she told him. "They wanted to thank you for looking after Asuka in the other world. They said that they were happy that if anything was to happen to them they had someone who would look after her," she said, wearing a proud smile.

Gray took a surprised half-step back, his face draining of what little colour it had left. He had to control his breathing, the terrifying truth resting uneasily against his chest. "If I had my way they would both be dead."

Erza shared Gray's surprised for a moment, finally resting into a frown. While she knew it to be true, she knew her friend was not the monster he so often painted himself as. "That doesn't mean that you want to see them hurt," she told him, taking a step closer to him as he had flinched away.

His teeth clenched tighter, his hands twisting themselves into fists. He couldn't agree. He had fought with such feverish power to keep the alternative world alive and the gunslingers dead that he wasn't sure he could even trust himself to be in the same universe as them. Instead of thanking him they should have been fearing him, he decided. All of Fairy Tail should have been fearing him. But Erza was still staring at him expectedly, waiting for him to say that everything would be alright. In truth he didn't feel like it would. He felt like he would scream, that his entire world had been shattered at his feet but there was a strange determination rushing through his veins. The cold air held him back, calmed his thoughts and reminded him that there was nothing more that he could do but put one foot in front of the other. Still, the lingering question remained in the back of his mind; "Do you think that magic changes a person?"

The requip wizard hadn't expected such a philosophical question from the young man, especially not when there seemed to be so many more pressing concerns and troubles resting on their minds. She was observant enough to realise that he was trying to divert the conversation and gladly took the bait. "I think that many circumstances can change a person, so I don't see why magic can't," she said, though she found it hard to believe that her own form of magic could ever have lingered in both versions of herself. She had pulled it from the most desperate moment of her broken childhood, it had been born from resilience and courage and it almost made her angry to feel that it could be wielded by someone who had never had to endure the heart-breaking initiation. She frowned, telling herself that those memories firmly belonged buried away. "What did fire magic feel like?" she asked him, more than a little curious as she remembered his flaming wings and assumed that this was his reason for asking the question.

He looked at his hand, remembering the way that the flames had dances across his palms. "Like drinking a casket of coffee…" he admitted, a small smile lingering on his face. There had been something hauntingly beautiful about the way that fire had flickered in his mind, though every moment of the unwieldy power had been exhausting. The brighter it had burned the more he had wanted to scream, cry and sleep for an eternity. And the more he had craved. "If dragon slayer magic is anything like that… I can begin to understand that bastard…" he said slowly, remembering as the fiercest of emotions rushed through his entire body uncontrollably. As they had span through his soul he realised just how oblivious he had been to the truest of feelings, how numb his own magic had made him. It was so much more than he could have ever imagined, and feelings of hatred, love, aggression and joy would not so easily be forgotten, nor would the flames themselves. The memories that rested from the world that had never existed remained firmly in his mind as he refused to go back to his own, refused to let himself be caught in his own empty shell now he had tasted burning passion.

Slowly his eyes met hers, remembering his company and continuing his trail of thought. "Ur told me that she thought that fire magic had taken over my mother," he explained, realising that Erza was watching him stare into the darkness trying to process the differences between hot and cold. "I've never thought about the way that ice magic actually feels before. I always thought it was freeing, but compared to fire it feels… strange. Strong, safe, precise, numbing... Maker magic is connected to your soul, your very imagination and it can take a hold of the darkest parts of your personality," he said slowly, shrugging his shoulders in feigned apathy.

Erza took a final step closer to him, making sure that he could look straight into her eyes as she told him truthfully "You're not as cold as you make yourself out to be, Gray," Continuing her walk forwards, she moved straight past him before turning back. "Are you coming back to the guild?"

Gray frowned, knowing that she had been more on point than she could have ever realised. "Not yet," he told her.

She nodded, understanding. Though she was worried for him she would do nothing to aid him unless he asked, knowing that this was a road that he would have to take himself. She had watched him over the past few months, realising that since Natsu, Happy and Lucy had been their constant companions they had all grown in leaps and bounds. They had all faced demons and she knew that they had come out far stronger than they could have ever hoped. Natsu had learned, or at least was beginning to learn, the true meaning of caution, even if he didn't usually use it. Lucy had become a part of the guild and could finally find a loving home that valued her. Erza herself had grown not only in maturity but also learned a little on how to feel like a woman and not just a warrior. Gray had smiled more than she had ever seen him smile for years. Though she couldn't help but be afraid that the moments of the last few hours would push them backwards she had enough trust and hope that they could pull each other through the worst. After so many years of each other's company, the most important lesson that she had learnt from Gray was that some battles could only be fought by yourself and sometimes you could not protect your friends. "Have a good night then, Gray," she told him as she turned back into the night and they began to walk in different directions.

* * *

Gray knew that he should have been following her back to the guild and into slumber, but there was something inside of him that kept him awake. It was like a lingering drug, seeping into his veins and filling him with alertness. It flooded his mind with emotions that he was used to pushing back. The memories tried to tear through the shadows with every step, replacing his own with images with those that should have never existed. He let himself get lost in a world with a pleasant childhood, barely watching his steps before wandering across yet another celestial wizard.

Even in the darkness, Hisui's green hair shone like a brilliant emerald. Before the ice maker, however, she was no princess. She was a weak and helpless woman, tears in her eyes and her breath shaking as she looked up at the dark haired man, desperate for answers. She had battled with herself for hours and had drank more than her fair share of liquid courage trying to bring up the strength to go to the Fairy Tail guild and demand her answers. She had been oblivious of the late hour in her haste and had stumbled upon Gray completely by chance but recognised the man who had stood before the gate as it crumbled away. "Please…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, I need to understand… I need to understand what happened to the Eclipse Gate. I need to know why it failed…" she said, looking as if she would fall to her knees at any moment. For seven long years she had poured her heart and soul into creating the Eclipse Gate, for seven long years she had prayed that Zeref would be destroyed and the dark mark that he had left across her land would finally be eradicated. In one night it had been all crashed into oblivion, with little explanation.

Gray narrowed his eyes into a scowl, understanding exactly where her pain had come from. She was a princess that felt everything for her citizens, empathy going even beyond the lines of her own country. The more that the pain stung deep into Gray's memories, the more courage he felt in himself, the more heated determination ran through his veins. "We were betrayed by Fairy Tail," he hissed.

The princess took a staggering step back, staring at him and thinking for a moment that she had chosen the wrong man. "Wh-What…?" she choked. Though she couldn't see his guild-mark under his shirt, she was certain that this had been the same person who had stood at the gate and held hands with his nakama, though she did remember him feverishly trying to protect the crumbling magic while the others rushed to destroy it.

Gray's fists tightened, looking at the princess unflinchingly. "Fairy Tail betrayed us. They chose their guild over the lives of thousands," he spoke through gritted teeth, feeling a hot anger rising inside of him, remembering the lives that had been lost. Though so many of them had come to an end on that fateful day, they had lived. Some of them had never even had the chance to breathe their first gasp of air before Zeref had somehow stolen life from them and he knew that there were many more like his parents that had lived years longer than they had in this world. That empathy towards every one of the thousands that had disappeared from the world was enough to pay any price that had fallen on Fairy Tail's shoulders.

The woman's lip trembled, knowing that the words from this mysterious man were exactly what she had wanted to hear. She didn't want to think that her very plan had been flawed and though it was difficult to bear that she had been backstabbed by the strongest guild in Fiore, she had at least preferred that to having wasted her years on an impossible dream. "Then why should I trust you…?" she questioned, knowing that the man in front of her was talking about his own guild with a darkness that made her shiver.

Gray smirked, flames dancing in the traitor's eyes. Trust had never been something that had rested easily with the Fire Maker. "You can't," he said truthfully. He would betray her, he already knew. He would betray his nakama, he would betray the princess, he would betray Fiore, he would betray the entire world. But in a moment, both the ice maker and the fire maker wanted the same thing, and the ice maker wanted it so desperately he found himself powerless to stop his other half. "But Fairy Tail has taken my world from me, and I assure you I will not rest until I have it back. I promise that we will make the Eclipse Gate again. This time, we will not fail," he said, flames twisting around his words.

The end...?

* * *

 **Who doesn't like a good cliffhanger?**

 **Massive massive massive massive thank you to all my reviewers and favouriters and followers and lurkers. Seriously, 60 people read the last chapter. 60 people got all the way through this story? I don't know how impressive that sounds to everyone else but its impressed me! Feel free to leave any more reviews, suggestions, PMs, anything!**

 **This story lends itself rather well to a sequel, don't you think? I am certainly looking into it!**


	18. Bonus: History 101

**Bonus Chapter; History 101**

The land had been desolated. Dragons had been here.

Anna Heartfillia walked slowly through the burning wreckage of the country, wondering if she had been pulled into a trap. Her hands lay on her chest, feeling the heart inside ache as she tried to work out if this had been a wasteland, a village, a town or even a city. Every so often she would see a black charred stick rising from the ground and tried to decide if it had been a tree in a vast forest or a pillar of some poor soul's home. The celestial wizard swallowed hard, keeping her footsteps one in front of the other and refusing to let herself cry. The voice had promised that they would bring an end to this kind of destruction, to the dragon flames that ravaged the land. The very thought filled her with terror.

Suddenly a sound loomed over the horizon. Though she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, it sounded _huge_. Her eyes went wide as she watched the ground around her cloak in shadow. Her breath caught in her chest, barely able to turn over her shoulder and stare back up at the huge wings that soared overhead. A gust of wind threatened to blow her off her feet and she reached quickly to her keys. With trembling hands, she pulled out Capricorn's key, pushing it into the air threateningly but not yet pulling on the strength to retrieve him from the other world. This was a dragon, and she would need every second of celestial strength that she could muster.

The giant red dragon's wings spread wide, blasting huge gusts of air as he lowered himself in front of the blonde, shaking the ground with his heavy landing. He lowered his head to the woman, wise eyes staring at her. "Anna Heartfillia, I presume?" it spoke.

Anna took a step backwards, holding her key close to her chest. Her eyes were wide in recognition, realising that this was the very same voice that had spoken to her to come into the clearing, the voice that had promised her the end of the reign of dragons but now lured her into this wasteland. "This is a trap…?" she whispered.

Igneel laughed, pulling his head back and looking at the wizard with amused interest. "A trap? If I wanted to kill you I wouldn't need to lay a trap," he said to her, craning his neck close to her and turning his head to the side so that he could take her all in with a ginormous eye. Her body shook with every breath he took, hot air blowing through the ashes around them. "My name is Igneel. I asked for your aid, Anna Hartfillia. I believe that this is a task that only you can do," he told her, his voice booming with an intelligence directed straight into her soul.

She took another step back, terrified as she was examined by the giant beast. Everything she had seen of dragons before this moment had been death and destruction. Even the Dragon Festival in Crocus had been filled with danger that terrified her. She hadn't even known that dragons could hold a conversation, though she had been told that they were exceptionally intelligent. Even so, she wasn't convinced that they could be anything less than carnivorous monsters. "How can I trust you…?" she asked, her voice shaking and cursing herself for sounding so weak. She knew she would have no choice to listen unless she wanted to become a bony snack.

His eyes narrowed, understanding her reluctance. Though a dragon himself, he had no respect for the dragons that had caused these innocent creatures such suffering. "Because I need your help to destroy Acnologia," he said, raising himself back up to his full majesty. It was difficult to believe that such an impressive dragon would need the help of anyone to destroy anything. The strength rippled through huge muscles and the air around him was filled with an undeniably fierce magic. Even amongst dragons he was considered supreme. "The age of Dragons is ending, but Acnologia is no mere dragon. He will exist long after every dragon has left this land and if we leave without giving humans the weapons to fight him he will consume the world," he explained.

Anna looked up at him, now impressed by both his words and his power even if the fear did not completely leave her. She found herself with the power to at least take one daring step closer, newfound curiosity driving her forwards. "Why would you care if humans are destroyed?" she challenged, still unable to wrap her head around the idea of a caring dragon.

Igneel lowered his head. Though he understood her caution, it almost felt offending that she would assume he was ambivalent of the human's plight. "I am one of the dragons who gave the dragon slayer magic to the humans," he explained, though there was some regret laced into his voice. "And with your help, I want to pass that power into a time when magic is strong enough to fight Acnologia. There are four dragons, four dragon slayers ready to move into future when the time is right. I believe you and your zodiac spirits are the only ones powerful enough to create such a spell."

Anna trembled, holding her keys protectively close. So, he wanted her keys. Her eyes narrowed, instantly defensive. "You're talking about time travel…" she realised, for the briefest of moments thinking she would burst out laughing if she wasn't so terrified. "That isn't possible, you're mistaken. None of my celestial spirits have any powers like that," she informed him.

"Separately, they do not," he assured her patiently. "But all twelve of the zodiac signs combined will have the power to complete this spell, I am certain. This is a spell that no human vessel will have the strength to conjure, the amount of magic required will be beyond anything that can be wielded in a day's worth of power. You will need to find some way of capturing large amounts of magic and to do so may take years. When the time comes, however, I will lend every drop my own magic to ensure its success. This is not a task that we can afford to fail."

The celestial wizard finally fell to her knees, understanding the gravity of what was being asked of her. This was a job that would require her attention for possibly the remainder of her life, potentially cutting her time on this world short. This was what the dragon thought too, she could tell from the tone of his voice. He was willing to die for this, and looking at the destruction and ash under her feet she could understand why. While the legends of dragons had been terrifying, the dragon slayers had always been there to offer a gleam of hope. Against Acnologia, however, even dragons were afraid. She looked up at Igneel, shivering as she held onto her keys for strength. She was just a young woman, lost in the world and trying to find her true strength. She had determination, she had friends, she had family, but she just felt like an ordinary girl, staring up at the monster of nightmares. "I don't… I don't know if it's possible…" she whispered, finally starting to realise that her mind was made up regardless. The world needed more hope, even if it was fleeting. "But if it is, if you lend all of your magic, it could kill you..." she said gently, wondering why he would make such a sacrifice to destroy one of his own.

Igneel leaned down low to her. Though the words he spoke were straight to her mind, the tone which he spoke made it clear that he would have wanted no one else to hear these words. "Long ago, Acnologia was a man. He was an incredibly powerful man, capable of the dragon slayer skill beyond anyone's expectations. I should know, I trained him myself," he said, his words laced with regret. "We didn't understand the risks of the Dragon Slayer magic when we first gave it to the humans. The more that you use it, the more that you become a dragon yourself. Acnologia has gone beyond destroying enemy dragons, he now sees the entire world as a threat. If I can undo what I have done to him, and the damage he has caused, I will gladly pay with my life. Though I will not risk giving my dragon slayer powers to another, the others dragons are giving their own lives to the new slayers they are creating. We now have a way of preventing them from falling into the same darkness as Acnologia, by accompanying them through their souls. We will not allow this to happen again."

Slowly, the celestial wizard rose back to her feet. Her eyes were wide, realising that she should have seen this dragon as even more of an enemy now. He had created the dragon of all dragons, he had destroyed a human soul and replaced it with darkness that ravaged the land. But in his words she felt sorrow and gently she reached out her hand, pressing it against the red scales of his snout. She nodded to him, determination in her eyes. "Then we will find a way," she promised him. "I will find a way to create a gateway to send your dragon slayers through time. They will destroy Acnologia."

* * *

 **Yey Bonus chapter :) Because someone asked me about how the dragon slayers are there without Zeref and the Eclipse Gate, and it was too tempting for me to not add this.**

 **If anyone else has any more questions, any more snippets from this world that they would like to see, any characters you missed, please send me a PM!**

 **I'm seriously losing my patience with writing this sequel. To the point where it might not happen. But thanks to the support from everyone and remember if you enjoyed this feel free to check out my other FT stories! :)**


	19. The Sequel

**Hey Fairy Tail Fans!**

 **Just a quick update to let you know that chapter 1 of the sequel, Our World Of Zeref, has been posted. Yey! You can find it on the directory, searching or on my profile. And just so you've not come here for no reason, here is a teaser:**

The further into shadows that they disappeared, the harder Lyon pushed. He wore an expressionless glaze in his eyes as he stormed forwards, intent only on moving the fellow ice maker as far from civilisation as possible.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Gray hissed at him, finally turning around and taking several steps back on his own accord. The party was a distant murmur through the darkness from her, right in the heart of the grand gardens that surrounded the royal palace. It had been at least five minutes since they had seen the last royal guard or even the odd couple trying to disappear into the privacy of darkness, and Gray was starting to become agitated. "What the hell is going on?"

Lyon frowned, realising that the anger that was emanating from his rival was only convincing him of his own suspicions. He had succeeded in at least taking him as far from the rest of the wizards as possible. "I'm going to give you one chance to come clean," he told him, a dark and dangerous glare in his eyes as he spoke. "Who are you and what have you done with Gray?"


End file.
